Darren O hAilín, PhD

Dr. Darren Ó hAilín is a lecturer and module lead for neuroscience for AUC’s UK track program. He is also on the faculty at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), where AUC’s UK Track program is based. 

Dr. Ó hAilín holds a doctorate in biology from the University of Freiburg, Germany, a master’s in science degree in neuroscience from the University of Strasbourg, France, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. 

From 2019 to 2021, Dr. Ó hAilín held postdoctoral researcher and teaching fellow roles with the University of Freiburg’s Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, where he studied how epigenetic modifications contribute to cognitive impairments in the neurodevelopmental disorder, FOXG1 syndrome. His prior doctoral research projects at the Freiburg University Hospital concerned the molecular mechanisms by which brain tumors adopt more aggressive features as they progress. He has also supervised research projects and theses in the areas of molecular medicine, neuroscience, and public health. 

Dr. Ó hAilín has taught for both medicine and biology programs in Germany, serving as a lecturer in gross anatomy and module lead for medical epigenetics. Further to his teaching with the faculty of medicine, he oversaw the design, development, and delivery of interdisciplinary biomedical and neuroscience courses for the Life Science track at the University College Freiburg. 

Dr. Ó hAilín has published in international, peer-reviewed journals, and has presented at international conferences. He is a member of the Anatomical Society and British Neuroscience Association, and maintains active collaboration with researchers across the globe.