This article explores the journey of Dr Merve Zeden, Research Ireland Pathway Fellow and Honorary Research Lecturer at University of Galway, from her time in London to setting up the Research Staff Network, and how she’s continued to thrive as a scientist and researcher here in Galway.
Meet Dr Merve Zeden…
I am a Cypriot scientist. My keen interest in microbiology brought me to Imperial College London, where I completed my BSc in Microbiology. I went on to pursue a Master of Research in Bacterial Pathogenesis and Infection, followed by a PhD in the Gründling lab, where I investigated the requirement of the signalling nucleotide c-di-AMP for the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. During my student years at Imperial, I also worked part-time at the Student Union Bars to help with the living costs in London. After defending my PhD, I joined Prof Jim O’Gara’s laboratory research group at University of Galway for my postdoc. I am now a Research Ireland Pathway Fellow, and I lead my own research group on antimicrobial resistance in nosocomial pathogens. I am also an Honorary Research Lecturer in Microbiology at the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences since October 2023, where I teach and supervise all levels of Microbiology students and researchers including UG, MSc, PhDs.
Something important to me is keeping actively involved in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and I was certified by the Advance HE Aurora leadership programme, supported by University of Galway. I have established, and currently Chair, the Research Staff Network to support researchers within the University, and I am a research staff representative on the College of Science and Engineering Research and Innovation committee. I was elected to Údarás na hOllscoile (Governing Authority) earlier this year, and I serve as an Early Career Editorial board member for the American Society Microbiology flagship journal mBio. I also represent Galway on the Irish Division of the Microbiology Society.
In my spare time, I love swimming, hiking with friends, doing yoga, and travelling the world. I also have two cats here in Galway, Joey and Inka, who keep me entertained. And I love plants – my office is very green!
What prompted you to relocate to Galway City after having spent 10 years in London?
It was the research project that drew me here! The advertisement for a postdoctoral researcher position by Prof O’Gara was sent on to me by my colleagues at Imperial at the time, while I was coming close to the end of my PhD. When I read the project description, I was really interested in the research involved. I felt comfortable in my skills working with S. aureus, and I thought it would be a good experience to integrate my molecular microbiology expertise with antimicrobial resistance research in a more translational aspect to identify ways we could re-sensitise MRSA to antibiotics. I applied and was successful in my appointment to the role. I was, and still am, very interested in bacterial metabolism, and manipulating bacterial metabolism to overcome antimicrobial resistance is fascinating to me. The societal impact of research on antimicrobial resistance cannot be understated.
What motivated you to pursue this area of research?
Bacteria are small but mighty! I remember learning about microbes in biology lessons at school. I was just fascinated by how small these tiny things are and how much they can do. They can cause problems, but, conversely, they can also be good for you. They help us digest food, but they can also be opportunistic and cause disease. I really just wanted to understand how bacteria do these things and what they’re like. How can they be so small yet have such an impact on our lives?
I love seeing the world of microbes under the microscope and finding new information about them. My curiosity is what drew me into research. Finding new information about bacteria that can lead to improving human health and overcoming global health crises is one of my main reasons for loving my job and wanting to do more.
Since joining University of Galway, what steps have you taken to further your career?
I have always followed my passion, and this is where it led me. I love research, teaching, and mentorship. I know that I want to be an academic, and a world–leading researcher. In order to prepare myself for an academic career, I have taken several steps to improve my skill set, to prepare me for my future in academia. For example, I recently completed the Centre for Excellence CELT Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning, which was a great experience to help me develop my teaching philosophy. I also completed the Advance HE Aurora Leadership programme, sponsored by University of Galway. This programme was great, because it had an integrated mentorship element, where we chose a mentor for ourselves, to create space and time for identifying our goals, and steps towards what we want to achieve in years to come. During this process, I was very lucky to have had my chosen mentor, Associate Professor Florence Abram. She created the space for me to discuss my values, my goals for the next one to five years, and helped guide the conversation to allow me to identify steps towards my goals.
You arrived at Galway during a time of social distancing. Can you explain how this inspired you to set up the Research Staff Network?
As a researcher on a fixed-term contract, I know the challenges that we face as a group in precarious contracts. Not just that, we move around the world a lot, which is a great thing, but it can also be difficult to start from scratch every time we move somewhere new. When I moved to Galway in January 2020, I didn’t envision a lockdown after only a few months of arriving in Ireland. I had lived in London for so many years, and all my friends were there, so when I went into lockdown, I wished I had a research staff network back then to have met with, so that I knew more than a handful of people.
During Aurora, I identified my goals within my values, and I wanted to help other researchers by setting up a university-wide network to support and learn from each other when arriving to a new country or county. After speaking to a few people about this mission, I found out that there was another person trying to achieve a similar vision – thanks to Dr Laura Loftus (OVPEDI) who introduced me to Dr Mikey Creane. We then brought lots of people together and co-established the Research Staff Network (RSN).
You have since successfully proposed a fellowship and secured your own funding. Can you walk us through this ambitious journey?
I identified steps to achieve my scientific independence, which was securing funding for my project ideas. I looked at opportunities that suited my career stage, with the help of the research office, and I wrote down my ideas, discussed them with my mentors and colleagues, and shaped them into the many drafted versions of my proposal.
I applied and was successful in securing internal College of Science and Engineering Research Seed Funding, which allowed me to generate some preliminary data. I was then also successful in securing the prestigious Research Ireland Pathway Fellowship in October 2023, which allowed me to establish and lead my own research group. My group, funded by Research Ireland, investigates the molecular mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPE pathogens to develop new therapeutics against them.
I am now the primary supervisor to many research students, with whom I am lucky to get to work with every day. I pass on my knowledge and expertise, playing a bridging role in their career development, like my mentors did for me in the past.
In your day-to-day, do you work closely with other researchers? How important is collaboration in your field?
Without teamwork and collaboration, science wouldn’t be as fun or productive. It is so important to work with others in research.
Yes, I work a lot of researchers day to day, as well as international and national collaborators. I am thankful to have this network, especially at this early stage of my career. I still work closely with Prof O’Gara’s research group, as well as the PhD and Research MSc students in my group. I help guide their research projects, teach them new techniques, and encourage them to innovate by trying new methodologies.
I am a molecular microbiologist by training, and my group’s research is interdisciplinary. I work closely with chemists, chemical biologists, bioinformaticians, computer scientists, and other microbiologists to do parts of my research. This network of researchers is really valuable, as different educational backgrounds means people think differently, and different perspectives are extremely helpful when trying to solve interdisciplinary research questions and complex problems. With my international network of collaborators, I get to work on exciting projects, whilst learning from others and expanding my expertise.
You were independently nominated by fellow researchers for the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS) Outstanding Early Career Microbiologist Award 2025. Congratulations on winning the competition! Can you tell us more about this process?
Thank you – I am truly humbled and honoured to have received this award in Milan at the FEMS Congress 2025!
This award recognises research excellence in microbiology, as well as contribution to society. In particular, the award recognises outstanding early career researchers (five years post PhD) with an excellent body of published research, and research potential.
My researcher colleague, Dr Seana Duggan and my postdoctoral mentor, Prof Jim O’Gara nominated me for this award. As part of that process, they wrote letters on why I am deserving of this award, summarising my achievements over the last five years. Following this, I shared my CV and a summary of my top research achievements with them upon request, preceding the nomination consideration by the FEMS Awards committee. The result of all this is that the FEMS award committee chose me as the winner of this bi-annual award, which I am truly thankful for.
This award gave me the opportunity to attend the FEMS Congress in Milan this year, where I was part of panel discussions, session chairing, and presented my research to the audience. I got to meet lots of colleagues in the field of Microbiology and expanded my network.
This is just one example of how important it is to support your colleagues (especially early career researchers) and mentees in research and academia, as it can really make such an impact on their careers. I am grateful for my supportive mentors and colleagues, without whom I could not have gotten to where I am today.
Finally, you are passionate about science engagement, even hosting a public education initiative to ‘meet the scientist’. Can you give us a sneak peek of subjects you might cover? Likewise, what advice would you give to aspiring researchers or those considering a career in your area of expertise?
I think science communication and engagement activities play a huge role in inspiring the future generation scientists, as well as make scientific information accessible to the public.
I have engaged with science festivals and outreach events for many years. I took part in several Imperial Festivals while I was studying there, as well as Cell Explorers events, the Start competition, School visits, and Meet the Scientist Webinars here in Galway. I organised my own outreach exhibition called the SuperBug Zone at this year’s Galway Science and Technology Festival 2025.
Topics I cover at these events include:
“Home Sweet Home, Where do bacteria live? Are they good or bad for us?”
“Bacteria vs. Antibiotics, who wins the battle?”
“Bacteriophages; viruses of bacteria”
For the SuperBug Zone specifically, my group and I have organised activities to walk people through the journey of bacteria, where they live, are they good or bad, what is a bacterial biofilm, how do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? I also touch on a look into phages, viruses of bacteria, and what they might look like. We had over 700 members of the public attend our exhibition, and the excitement, engagement, and feedback we received has been so rewarding.
On the academic side, to anyone who’s interested in science, or are just starting their journey, I want to say that it is so important to choose a project that you like. I emphasise this because that project will drive you. If you like what you do, it doesn’t feel like you’re working.
Also, find a team you can fit into before you choose to do a PhD. Talk to the people in the group before you decide on a final advisor to see how they work with their trainees. In academia, you need to be able to be a good fit for both the research group and the investigator you’re working with. It’s really important to have supportive people around you. Find the environment that’s right for you. It makes such a big difference to your journey!
