Mark Berney
Mark carried out his PhD research in Trinity College Dublin, where he worked with Prof. Joanna McGouran developing probes to study DNA repair enzymes. He then received a Fulbright award to move to the University of Chicago as a visiting researcher in Prof. Bryan Dickinson’s lab. Here Mark contributed to the development of a new class of RNA therapeutic capable of increasing the rate of translation of endogenous mRNA targets.
After returning to Ireland, he took up a postdoctoral position at UCD and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, where he worked on chemical modification of nucleotides to improve the stability and efficacy of mRNA vaccines.
Mark then began his independent career as a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at Queen’s University Belfast in January 2025.
Current Group Members
Gwen Scanlan – PhD student, 2025-present
Gwen is from Co. Cork. She graduated from University College Cork in 2025 with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry of Pharmaceutical Compounds. During her time in UCC she gained industry experience at Eli Lilly and completed her final year project in the O’Sullivan lab where she worked on the synthesis of squaramide antimicrobial agents. Gwen joined the Berney group in 2025 as a PhD student where her research explores chemical modification of mRNA for the enhancement of translation. Outside of the lab, Gwen enjoys hiking, going to gigs with friends and visiting her dogs.
Aoife McCann – MChem student, 2025-present
Aoife is originally from Armagh and started her undergraduate degree at Queen’s University Belfast in 2022. She is completing her master’s research project involving developing a new chemically modified nucleotide for use in RNA therapeutics. In 2025, Aoife received a QUB EPS Jetset award and attended an international summer school at Beijing University of Chemical Technology in China.
Past Group Members
Nahin Kazi – Postdoctoral researcher, 2025
Xinyue Wu – Summer internship, 2025