Kamila is a project manager on the ERC funded TERRAFORM project, coordinating and overseeing the organization of the smallest details and making sure the students and staff can smoothly proceed with their research. She works as a Scientific Consultant on a Lichen_ART project funded by the Arts Council Ireland part-time. The project is an art-science collaboration, focusing on the fascinating world of lichens as indicators of air quality. It explores how art can attune our attention to subtle changes in the environment and cultivate observations, instincts, and insights developed through our unique position within the natural world. These can complement scientific understandings of climate change and the biodiversity crisis. As a part of this project, Kamila established collaboration with The Globe Program Ireland on their Air Quality Campaign 2021, involving school students participating in the project to describe lichens as bioindicators creatively. She continues to collaborate with The Globe on various occasions, mainly providing online and in-person training for teachers.
With a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Master’s Science in Botany from the University of Wroclaw, Poland, she moved to Ireland, where she undertook a research assistant position in the Plant Developmental Genetics Laboratory at Trinity College Dublin in 2011. At the same time, she was an external student of Molecular Biology at the Jagiellonian University in Poland. In 2012, she commenced a PhD in the TCD’s Smurfit Institute with Prof. Wellmer. She investigated the novel functions of a transcription factor responsible for terminating the floral meristem activity in Arabidopsis thaliana.
After graduating with PhD in Plant Developmental Genetics from TCD in 2017, she took up her first Post-doctoral position in the ERC Proof of Concept with Prof. McElwain. During this research project, she worked on developing and commercializing the first plant-based sensor kit for the standardization and calibration of controlled environment chambers. She designed and conducted the Tephra Bag Citizen Science Experiment following the research commercialization project within ICRAG. This project focused on developing a ‘volcanic ash teabag kit’ for a pilot experiment that school students carried out. The project aimed to collect data on the chemical weathering of volcanic ash as a new negative carbon emission technology, engage with the members of the public, and educate citizens on the possible reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Kamila is interested in the aspects of nature connectedness and its correlation with psychological and social well-being. She is an enthusiast of nature connection activities – mountain hikes and climbing, nature photography, forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) and the creation of ikebana floral arrangements. She founded her nature-based enterprise focusing on bringing people closer to nature.