Hi! I’m Aoife Hughes, a computational biologist, open source advocate, and passionate science communicator. I bridge the gap between complex scientific research and accessible, interactive experiences.

Education & Research

Ph.D. in Computational Modelling of Cellular Information Transfer (2018-2022)
John Innes Centre, England, UK

I conducted forefront research on plant cell signalling in a multidisciplinary team, focusing on how molecules navigate cellular structures. My work combined mathematical modeling, simulation development, and data visualization to understand transport phenomena in biological systems. During my PhD, I mentored M.Sc. and undergraduate students and published in prestigious academic journals while championing open-source software projects.

B.Sc. in Computer Science, First Class Honours (2014-2018)
Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK

My undergraduate dissertation led to two notable research publications, establishing an early foundation for my research career in computational approaches to biological problems.

Recognition & Awards

I’ve been fortunate to receive recognition for my work in research and open source contributions:

• Software Sustainability Institute Fellowship (2023) - Supporting sustainable research software practices
• UK Open Source Awards Winner (2019) - Recognizing contributions to open source software
• DigiEduHack Climate Change Contest Finalist (2022) - For innovative climate education solutions
• Genetics Society Research Grant (2017) - Early career research funding
• Fully Funded BBSRC Ph.D. Scholarship (2018) - Competitive doctoral funding

Interests

Beyond my research work, I’m passionate about:

• Science Communication: Making complex topics accessible through clear writing and interactive visualizations
• Data Visualization: Creating compelling ways to explore and understand data using tools like Plotly and D3.js
• Open Source Software: Contributing to projects that advance scientific computing and education