Fiona McDonald received a B.Sc. degree (Jnt. Hons) in Physiology and Pharmacology from University College Dublin, in 2008. She carried out postgraduate research to assess the sex-specific impact of chronic intermittent hypoxia exposure on respiratory muscle function during development, and was awarded her PhD in 2014 from UCD. Fiona then carried out a 2-year post-doctoral fellowship funded by SIDS Calgary Society, at University of Calgary in Canada. Her project investigated the interaction of multiple stressors, including prenatal cigarette smoke exposure on neonatal cardiorespiratory function. In 2016, Fiona joined Professor Julian Paton’s lab at University of Bristol, UK to explore the underlying mechanisms of hypertension and novel therapeutic strategies. In 2018, Fiona joined the Department of Physiology as a Lecturer and Principle Investigator. The theme of Fiona’s research is understanding mechanism of early life stress, such as unstable patterns of oxygenation, on cardiorespiratory and motor function in preterm infants. Fiona has a keen interest in exploring sex-specific vulnerabilities during development. Her work seeks to identify novel preventative strategies for preterm infants to improve their long-term functional outcomes and their quality of life.

Respiratory control, muscle function, cardiovascular physiology, early life stress, hypoxia, sexual dimorphism, development

Teaching and Learning Statement In UCC we strive to support independent thinkers. I believe learning is a community activity and we can all learn from each other. I aim to create a learning environment that stimulates curiosity, encourages student led inquiry and fosters confidence. I believe no piece of information exists in isolation and therefore new content must be put in context of its importance or relevance to the students existing knowledge. I aim to introduce students to frontier research-led physiology content through a variety of dynamic and challenging learning activities such as small group labs, journal clubs, presentations and debates. I aim to encourage communication by setting creative teamwork assignments that encourage peer discussion and peer feedback. I aim to give frequent constructive face to face feedback that allows sufficient time for student reflection and implementation to foster confidence in their own capacity for growth. I will listen to student feedback to refine my approach to facilitate learning opportunities for the students. I will use the experience of teaching to continue to learn myself.