Ronan Cashell

Research Interests

I am a geneticist with interests in population genetics, genomics and molecular evolution.

My work is for the most part bioinformatic in nature and my previous research has been on plants, particularly crops.

I am interested in the identification of genetic differences in domesticated crops that distinguish them from their wild relatives and which contribute to the traits that make then ideal as crops.

Current Projects

I am currently working on genomic selection as part of the GENESIS Project.

The aim of this research is to inform the crosses within the Irish Sitka spruce breeding population that will result in the greatest additive gain for timber volume within a generation, as well as cut down on the interval between generations.

This project also aims to assess the Irish Sitka spruce population for drought tolerance and pest resistance in expectation of the stresses that Sitka spruce in Ireland will face as climate change progresses.

Education

BA (Genetics), Trinity College Dublin

MSc (Data Science and Analytics), National University of Ireland, Maynooth