Dr Una FitzGerald

Dr FitzGerald's research focus is on developing an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. After graduating from NUI Galway with a BE (Industrial) in 1983 and an MSc in Biotechnology in 1985, she worked in the biotech sector for five years before returning to academia to complete a PhD in molecular biology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. Dr FitzGerald returned to Ireland in 2003, taking up a lectureship in biomedical engineering at NUIG in 2005. Since then the main focus of the FitzGerald group has been multiple sclerosis and other brain disorders including Parkinson's disease. The group has also studied the normal development of the cerebellum.

Dr FitzGerald is the Director of the Galway Neuroscience and she represents MS Ireland on the MS International Federation's International Medical and Scientific Board. She has also recently joined the committee of the Dementia and Neurodegeneration Network, Ireland. Since May 2019, she is coordinating a 3.9 million EU-funded project that aims to work with researchers from Denmark, Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and the Czech Republic to create new devices and treatments for multiple sclerosis.