Deirdre Robertson has been named the national winner of FameLab Ireland and will represent Ireland at the international finals at the Cheltenham Science Festival in June.

Dr Robertson is a post-doctoral researcher in psychology in Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, funded by the Irish Research Council. Her current research investigates how the mind affects the body, often without awareness, and what impact this can have on health, particularly as people get older.

She was selected by a judging panel from nine other new science communicators at the fifth FameLab Ireland national finals at the Science Gallery Dublin. Each contestant delivered a three-minute talk judged according to content, clarity and charisma.

FameLab started in 2005 and has grown into the world’s leading science communication competition. A partnership with the British Council since 2007 has seen the competition go global with more than 10,000 young scientists and engineers participating in over 35 countries.