Spillane Lab Research Group Members

Head of Lab

Charlie Spillane

Prof. Charles Spillane

Head of AgriBiosciences, Food Security & Climate Resilience Lab

Agriculture, Food Systems and Bioeconomy Research Centre

Ryan Institute

University of Galway

University Road, Galway H91 REW4

Ireland

[E]: charles.spillane@universityofgalway.ie

Google Scholar Profile

Director of MScCCAFS & MScAST Programs

Chair of IFIAD

Member of Board of Trustees of ICARDA

Research Interests:

Research and Innovation that supports Sustainable Development

Staff | Postdoc | Research Assistants | PhD | Masters | Visiting Researchers | Alumni

Project Management, Impact & Comms Staff

Angharad Johnston

LEG4DEV Project Coordinator

[E]:angharad.johnston@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Climate science; sustainable agriculture; legume-based agroecology; molecular ecology

Anna Lorente

EcoFoodSystems Project Coordinator

[E]:anna.lorentesebastian@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Sustainable agricultural practices; Innovations to reduce food waste across supply chain; Sustainable and healthy diets; Women in agriculture

Avia Costello

Finance Officer

[E]:avia.costello@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Sustainability accounting; finance management; communication

Ciara Varley

Resource Mobilisation and Partnerships Officer

[E]:ciara.varley@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Science communication; Climate communication; Science engagement

Research Interests:

Climate mitigation and adaptation; sustainable food systems; effects of climate change on agriculture and food security; legumes and food security; agroforestry for food security and sustainable livelihoods

Tinashe Mashizha

Monitor, Evaluation and Learning Officer

[E]:tinashe.mashizha@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Agroecology and Sustainable Farming Systems; Climate Change Policies; Climate Change and Variability in sub-Saharan Africa; Innovations for Sustainable Food Systems; Agri-Environmental Monitoring

Affiliate Investigators

Dr. Galina Brychkova

Affiliate Scientist

[E]:galina.brychkova@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Plant biochemistry; molecular biology

Dr. Peter McKeown

Affiliate Scientist

[E]:peter.mckeown@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Plant biology; epigenetics; plant evolution; plant reproduction; imprinting in plants

Research Assistants

Alexander Firestine

AgriImmanence Researcher Assistant

[E]:a.firestine1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Urban food security; Geospatial food outlet mapping; Food value chain mapping; Agrifood waste-to-value innovation; Climate finance; Nutrition development in countries in transition

Molly McLoughlin

AgriImmanence Research Assistant

[E]:maryellen.mcloughlin@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Social entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurial decision-making; Entrepreneurial mindset; Student entrepreneurship; Technology for good

Nikita Gondalia

Research Assistant

[E]:nikita.gondalia@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Haploid Inducer and Doubled haploid lines in Lolium perenne L.; speed breeding for triple annual generations in Lolium perenne L

Shrutik Rakesh Kharkar

AgriImmanence Research Assistannt

[E]:s.kharkar1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Generative AI, Sustainable agriculture , Proteomics and Metaproteomics, AI for healthcare, Research areas impacting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Vibeth Nashira Porras Gonzale

EcoFoodSystems Research Assistannt

[E]:v.porrasgonzalez1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Current food transitions; Identification of factors that enhance obesogenic environments; Behavior interventions to boost public health strategies; Food systems impacts on nutritional status of the population; SDG 2

Postdoctoral Researchers

Anupa De Silva

AgriImmanence Researcher Assistant

[E]:anupa.shyamlal@insight-centre.org

Research Interests:

Distributed Systems, Blockchain, IoT, Cyber Security, Game theory

Jefkine Kafunah

AgriImmanence Research Assistant

[E]:jefkine.kafunah@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Generative AI; Knowledge Graphs and Linked Data; Internet of Things (IoT); Digital twins; Fault Diagnosis

PhD Researchers

Linyi Lai

MolGen PhD student

[E]:l.lai3@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Molecular biotechnology; Cytonuclear interaction; Plant reproduction

Pouya Motienoparvar

PhD student

[E]:p.motienoparvar1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Biological Systems Evolution, Complex Traits Evolution, Computational Modeling, Adaptive Traits

Avinash Singh

MolGen PhD student; Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholar

[E]:a.singh18@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Hybrid vigor in Arabidopsis thaliana; CENH3 based haploid induction in Arabidopsis thaliana; haploid production

Moman Khan

MolGen PhD student

[E]:m.khan23@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Genome editing of haploid inducer genes in ryegrass to develop haploid inducer lines

Decolius Kalumo

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:d.kalumo1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Energy access and transitions; Agricultural mechanisation; Gender and women empowerment in rural contexts

Kareem Longwe

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:k.longwe1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

None

Mushangure Oliver Remeredzai

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:r.mushangure1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Agricultural mechanisation for smallholder farmers; Energy access from and for legume value chains; Circular bio-economy in legume value chains

Noel Ndlovu

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:n.ndlovu1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

None

Theresa Kinkese

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:t.kinkese1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Social networks analysis for increased legume production; Policy and institutional barriers and innovation; Incorporation of climate-smart resilient practices for improved food and nutrition security

Timalizge Munthali

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:t.munthali1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Maternal and child nutrition; aflatoxin and fumonisin exposure; food product development;  nutrition and gender

Tione Kaonga

LEG4DEV PhD student

[E]:t.kaonga1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Entrepreneurship and its role in commercialisation of technologies; business incubation for youth and women entrepreneurs; Policies and regulations for stimulating legume entrepreneurship 

Carlos Andrés Rodríguez Plaza

EcoFoodSystems PhD student

[E]:c.rodriguezplazas1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Capacity building on business models for food value chains; Affordability of nutritious diets for marginalized populations; Economic analysis to evaluate the development of policies on food systems

Shamilah Nassozi

EcoFoodSystems PhD student

[E]:s.nassozi1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Capacity building on business models for food value chains; Affordability of nutritious diets for marginalized populations; Economic analysis to evaluate the development of policies on food systems

Dawit Chekol

EcoFoodSystems PhD student

[E]:d.chekol2@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Effects of maternal nutrition on fetal/child development; Dietary Behavior and Public Health Interventions; Nutritional challenges in low- and middle-income countries; Nutrition Education in LMIC

Yared Tessema

EcoFoodSystems PhD student

[E]:t.yaredmesfin1@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Food system sustainability and associated indicators; Geospatial data to map croplands and energy access; Climate modelling for sustainable food production

Hoàng Thế Kỷ

EcoFoodSystems PhD student

[E]:k.hoang2@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Effects of maternal nutrition on fetal/child development; Dietary Behavior and Public Health Interventions; Nutritional challenges in low- and middle-income countries; Nutrition Education in LMIC

Project Masters Students

Paul Kakumba

MSc CCAFS (2024 – 2025) LEG4DEV Researcher

[E]:p.kakumba@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Sustainable crop production systems; sustainable agricultural intensification; cereal-legume cropping systems.

Mukwiza Halwindi

MSc CCAFS (2024 – 2025) LEG4DEV Researcher

[E]:m.halwindi@universityofgalway.ie

Research Interests:

Sustainable crop intensification; ways of increasing crop yields using land already in use.

Visiting Researchers

We currently have no visiting researchers.

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