Profile

Photo:

David Nolan

Curriculum Vitae

  • Work History:

    NUI Galway, Johnson and Johnson, Trinity College Dublin

  • Current Job:

    Research and development engineer

  • Employer:

    Trinity College Dublin

  • About Me: I love being busy, getting out with my friends, meeting new people and seeing new things.

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    I grew up in Kilkenny city where I went to school in St. Canices N.S. and then C.B.S. Kilkenny. I lived in Galway for 8 years after that, where I learned to be an engineer. I live in Dublin now with my girlfriend Sarah. I love to play music and I can play the flute, guitar and the bagpipes! I also like sport and play tag rubgy and soccer with my friends.

  • My Work: I use computer simulations to design and test treatments that save the lives of people who have heart attacks

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    In the past, if you wanted to make a new invention you would have to build a model of it and use it to test whether the invention worked properly or not. After any problems were found, you would have to fix them and build a new version of the model. Usually many different versions of the model would need to be built.

    Now we can use computer simulations to test a new invention and if it needs to be redesigned, this can be done easily and quickly and tested again. This saves on the cost and time taken to make new products and means that interesting new things can be quickly made.

    I use computer simulations to make sure that medical devices that are put into the heart will safely last for a long time.

  • My Typical Day: I go into my office and work on projects and meet other people to help them with theirs too.

  • What I'd do with the money: I’d build a toy model that people could use to see what it’s like to do heart surgery.

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    I’d love to build a toy surgery model, where people could have a go at performing heart surgery.

    The person would have to snake a wire through a network of tubes (these represent the arteries and veins) and crush a blockage with a tiny balloon at the tip of the wire.

  • My Interview

    • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

      Clever, Smiley, Beardy

      What's the best thing you've done in your career?

      I’ve travelled to lots of interesting places to talk about engineering

      What or who inspired you to follow your career?

      When I was 16 I started looking to university courses and I thought that the different types of jobs engineers could do sounded really interesting.

      What did you want to be after you left school?

      I wanted to be an architect and a musician

      Were you ever in trouble at school?

      …sometimes!

      If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

      I always wanted to play music or be a sound engineer.

      Who is your favourite singer or band?

      Daft Punk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alt-J, too many to name!

      What's your favourite food?

      I love Indian food, especially naan bread

      What is the most fun thing you've done?

      Gone to Universtiy! Best time ever.

      If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!

      To always be happy, healthy and for Galway to win an All-Ireland :)

      Tell us a joke.

      The optimist says the glass is half full, the pessimist half empty. The engineer says it’s twice as big as it needs to be.

Questions answered by David

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