I lead a research group in yeast biotechnology and teach microbiology and biotechnology at University College Cork. I am also Director of SUSFERM, a multidisciplinary research centre at UCC https://www.ucc.ie/en/susferm/ that is creating new research synergies to tackle complex scientific and technological challenges associated with development of new products and processes related to microbial fermentation. SUSFERM is a partners in IBISBA https://www.ibisba.eu/, a European Infrastructure (ESFRI) dedicated to providing access to infrastructure and expertise to drive the transition to a bio-based economy. My research group engages in fundamental and applied research and have developed a wide network of academic and industrial collaborations, especially via EU-funded projects and programmes. We have co-ordinated threethree multi-partner EU-funded H2020 projects – YEASTCELL (https://yeastcell.eu/) CHASSY (http://chassy.eu/) and YEASTDOC (https://yeastdoc.eu/) and participate in ERASMUS training programmes and COST Actions. Currently I sit on the management committees of the YEAST4BIO and EuroMicropH COST Actions. I have served on the governing Council of the Microbiology Society, am a member the Microbial Biotechnology Board of the European Federation of Biotechnology, and represent Ireland on the International Commission on Yeasts. I am also the Editor in Chief of FEMS Yeast Research, a scientific journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Federation of European Microbiology Societies.