I was born in Chapel Hill North Carolina in 1965. I travelled extensively in childhood with my scientist parents (a Zoologist and a Botanist) and attended primary school in South Carolina and West Berlin in the 1970s before returning to Ireland to attend Blackrock College.
I’m the Communications lead for the Faculty of Science and Health at Dublin City University, which covers seven schools; Biotechnology, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Nursing, Psychotherapy, and Community Health, Psychology – and Health and Human Performance.
I am a graduate of UCD Science and New York University Science, Health & Environmental Reporting Programme and I have been a full-time journalist working in Ireland since 1998 when I joined the staff of the Liffey Champion local newspaper.
As a science graduate, I was always interested in science and got the opportunity to write about it on a full-time basis when I was appointed joint-editor of Technology Ireland – the flagship publication of Enterprise Ireland – in 2000. In 2002, I was appointed editor.
In 2003, I co-founded Science Spin, Ireland’s first popular science magazine with science journalism colleagues, Mary Sweetman and Tom Kennedy. The publication was a success until the financial crash of 2008 dealt a hammer blow to advertising and sponsorship revenue.
I created, presented, and co-produced Ireland’s first weekly science radio show, Science Spinning on Dublin City FM.
I have been a regular contributor to RTE Radio 1’s Drivetime and had a regular science-themed slot on Today with Sean O’Rourke (now Claire Byrne) as well as a weekly science slot as The Cool Scientist on The Morning Show with Declan Meehan on East Coast FM.
I was co-presenter and producer of RTE Radio 1’s What’s It All About? (PPI Radio Award Winner in 2014) and Life Matters (nominated for a PPI Award in 2015), and presented the six-part ‘Irish Scientists‘ series for East Coast FM.
I contribute to The Irish Times’ science and innovation pages, as well as writing news, features and opinion pieces for the Irish Independent. I also occasionally write for Science published by the AAAS.
In recent years, I have been an active podcaster. I am the creator, presenter, and producer of Ireland’s Place in Space, supported by Space Industry Skillnet and a podcast supported by the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science – AgriFood Matters
I have also worked in television. I presented and co-produced science slots for television – The Daily Show on RTE 1, and Ireland AM, with TV3. I also worked as a researcher on The Investigators (RTE 1 television) and Ten Things to Know About (also RTE 1 television).
I wrote my first book How Irish Scientists Changed the World (Londubh, 2013) which was a bestseller at Dublin’s Hodges Figgis bookstore.
This blog, Science Spinning, began life in 2009. The idea was to make all of my work available in one location. It contains features, news, opinion, video, and audio pieces on what’s happening in science in Ireland, and worldwide.
I am married to Maria. We have three children, and and live in Terenure, on the south side of Dublin city.
Contact Details:
email: seancduke@gmail.com
mobile: +353 1 894237605