Jemma Geoghegan facts for kids

Jemma Louise Geoghegan was born in Scotland on December 26, 2004. She is a scientist who studies viruses and how they change over time. She works at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Jemma Geoghegan focuses on new infectious diseases and uses a method called metagenomics to track how viruses evolve.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jemma Geoghegan was a key leader in New Zealand's efforts to use genomic sequencing. This helped track the virus. Her research also helped explain what might have caused COVID-19 and how hard it is to predict future pandemics. She has received several important awards for her work, including the Young Tall Poppy Award in 2017 and the Prime Minister's Emerging Scientist Prize in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Jemma Geoghegan grew up in Cupar, Scotland. In 2004, when she was 18, she took a year off before university. She volunteered as a teacher in Baddegama, Sri Lanka.

After that, she went to the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics in 2009. She focused on Forensic Biology.

Jemma then received a scholarship to study for her PhD at the University of Otago in New Zealand. She completed her PhD in evolutionary biology in 2012. After her PhD, she worked with a group in New York that studied HIV. In 2013, she moved to Australia. She worked as a researcher at the University of Sydney before starting her own lab at Macquarie University.

Career Highlights

Jemma Geoghegan was a lecturer at Macquarie University from 2017 to 2020. In 2017, she received the Young Tall Poppy Award for her research as an evolutionary biologist.

Since 2020, she has been a senior lecturer at the University of Otago. She works in the microbiology and immunology department. She is also a senior scientist at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR). In August 2023, she became the Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis at Otago. This is a special role focused on how viruses cause disease.

Understanding Genome Sequencing

Jemma Geoghegan became well-known in New Zealand for explaining genome sequencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was seen as one of the main people helping the public understand this important science.

How Scientists Track Viruses

Scientists like Jemma Geoghegan use genome sequencing to understand how viruses spread. They analyze the genetic code of the virus. This helps them see where the virus came from and how it changes.

For example, in 2021, when Britain lifted COVID-19 restrictions, Jemma Geoghegan worried about new virus variants. She explained that this could "train" the virus to escape vaccines. She believed countries needed more people vaccinated to fight new variants like the Delta variant.

In 2022, when the Omicron variant was spreading, Jemma Geoghegan noted that new mutations like BA.2 were found through genome sequencing. She said that vaccinated people with boosters were well protected against this new variant. She also explained that viruses and hosts are in an "evolutionary arms race." This means they keep changing to try and beat each other.

Where Do Viruses Come From?

Jemma Geoghegan has researched how viruses jump from animals to humans. She explained that bats carry viruses similar to COVID-19. To confirm if they are related, scientists look at the "genetic signatures" in the virus.

Her research in 2018 showed how viruses can spread and evolve naturally. She noted that the virus causing COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is similar to other viruses found in nature. She believes that human contact with live animals, especially in markets, makes it more likely for viruses to jump to humans.

Can We Predict New Viruses?

Jemma Geoghegan has also studied if we can predict which viruses might cause a pandemic. In 2016, she published an article about factors that make viruses more likely to spread among humans.

She worked with scientist Edward Holmes on this topic. They found that predicting viruses is very hard because there are so many of them. Jemma Geoghegan suggested it's best to find "fault lines" where animals and people often interact. This means focusing on places where viruses are most likely to jump from animals to humans. She believes funding surveillance in these "risk zones" is the best way to gain knowledge.

Bird Flu Research

In August 2023, Jemma Geoghegan co-wrote an article about new strains of avian influenza (bird flu). These new strains were causing a worldwide outbreak among aquatic birds. They were also increasingly spreading to mammals.

The article noted that New Zealand had not seen these variants yet. However, the country was at risk because many migratory birds visit each year. Some of these birds might carry the virus without showing symptoms. The authors suggested steps New Zealand could take to prepare. These included:

• Raising awareness about unexpected animal deaths.
• Increasing testing for known pathogens.
• Using the "viral genomics capabilities" developed during COVID-19.

Key Research Projects

Jemma Geoghegan has led several important research projects.

Tracking COVID-19 in New Zealand

In May 2020, Jemma Geoghegan received funding to lead a team of scientists. Their goal was to sequence the genomes of all positive COVID-19 cases in New Zealand. This helped track how the virus spread across the country.

By August 2020, her team showed that the virus in New Zealand came from overseas. It mostly spread at social gatherings within the country. When Auckland had another outbreak in August 2020, Jemma Geoghegan explained how their work could identify where the virus came from. They compared the new cases' genomes to those from managed isolation facilities or from around the world.

She explained that genome sequencing was vital to track outbreaks. It helped determine the likely origin of cases and how long they had been circulating.

Rutherford Discovery Fellowship

In October 2020, Jemma Geoghegan received the Rutherford Discovery Fellowship. This scholarship provided $800,000 for her study. The study aimed to show how viruses evolve to jump to new animal species. She planned to do this by sequencing genetic material from different animal species in New Zealand.

Jemma Geoghegan said this study was very important, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first large study of virus ecology and evolution in New Zealand.

Awards and Recognition

Jemma Geoghegan has received several awards for her scientific work:

• The Young Tall Poppy Award (2017): This award recognized her research and her passion for sharing scientific findings with the public.
• Genetics Society of Australia Alan Wilton Award (2017): This award honored her outstanding contributions to genetics research early in her career.
• Macquarie University Excellence in Early Career Research Prize (2017): She won this prize from Macquarie University.
• Prime Minister's Emerging Scientist Prize (2021): In May 2022, she received this prestigious award, worth $200,000. Many believe her work helped save lives during the pandemic. Jemma Geoghegan said she hoped the award would help challenge stereotypes about women in science. She planned to use the funds for more research and to train students.