Una M. Ryan (born 1966) is a biochemist from Ireland, researching parasites and infectious agents in Australia, where she lives. She is an associate professor at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences of Murdoch University. In 2000, she received the Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year from the Prime Minister of Australia for her work in isolating a method of diagnosing parasites.

Biography

Una Ryan was born in Ireland in 1966 and completed her undergraduate work in

zoology Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the Animal, animal kingdom, including the anatomy, structure, embryology, evolution, Biological clas ...

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

in 1988. The following year, she moved to Australia and began working at

Murdoch University Murdoch University is a public university in Perth, Western Australia, with campuses also in Singapore and Dubai. It began operations as the state's second university on 25 July 1973, and accepted its first undergraduate students in 1975. Its n ...

. Ryan continued her studies earning her PhD in 1996 in

parasitology Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question but by their way of life. This means it fo ...

, with a specialisation in on protozoan parasites. Her research has analysed the transmission and epidemiology of infectious disease parasites, initially focused on ''

Cryptosporidium ''Cryptosporidium'', sometimes informally called crypto, is a genus of apicomplexan parasitic alveolates that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness (cryptosporidiosis) that primarily involves watery diarrhea (intestinal cryptosp ...

'', a

protozoan parasite Protozoan infections are parasitic diseases caused by organisms formerly classified in the kingdom Protozoa. They are usually contracted by either an insect vector or by contact with an infected substance or surface and include organisms that are ...

which causes

diarrhoea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...

and in severe cases can result in death. ''Cryptosporidium'' and ''Giardia'' are the two most prevalent parasites causing public health risk from water utilities in developed nations, due to contamination of water catchment areas by livestock. Ryan developed a test to verify if the parasites are present in water samples and if they are present, whether they are one of the two types that are harmful to humans. She filed a worldwide patent on her DNA method of diagnosing ''Cryptosporidium'' and was awarded a Frank Fenner Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, one of the Minister's Prizes and highest award given by the Prime Minister of Australia to recognise scientists' contributions. Her work has continued and expanded to include research on ''

Giardia ''Giardia'' ( or ) is a genus of anaerobic flagellated protozoan parasites of the phylum Metamonada that colonise and reproduce in the small intestines of several vertebrates, causing the disease giardiasis. Their life cycle alternates between ...

'', ''

Neospora ''Neospora'' is a single celled parasite of livestock and companion animals. It was not discovered until 1984 in Norway, where it was found in dogs. Neosporosis, the disease that affects cattle and companion animals, has a worldwide distribution ...

'' and piroplasms and she has received grants from the

Australian Research Council The Australian Research Council (ARC) is the primary non-medical research funding agency of the Australian Government, distributing more than in grants each year. The Council was established by the ''Australian Research Council Act 2001'', ...

as well as other organisations to evaluate parasitic impact on the water supply and public health. In one study, her primary results showed that sheep, though they contribute to water contamination, are not a significant contributor to parasites which affect humans. Ryan is an associate professor at the School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and lecturer in biochemistry at Murdoch University.

Selected works

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References

External links

WorldCat PublicationsMurdoch University publications
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ryan, Una M. Australian biologists Irish biologists 1966 births Living people Women microbiologists Irish women scientists Scientists from Dublin (city) 20th-century Australian women scientists 20th-century biologists 21st-century biologists