Research & Test Development Team Archives - Educational Research Centre (ERC)

Aoibhe Ni Leathleabhoir

Kate Scott

Dr Eamonn Carroll

Jean Louise McCarthy

Niamh Mi Loideain

Linda Bhreathnach

Chowdary Kodali

Niamh Ní Loideáin

Role/Grade	Research Assistant
Team	Test Development
Research Interests	Irish Language, Literacy, Psychometrics, Test Development, Educational Psychology
Researcher Profiles	LinkedIn – Niamh Ní Loideáin \| LinkedIn

Róisín Ní Chatháin

Role/Grade	Cúntóir Taighde/Research Assistant
Team	Forbairt Tástála – TLUDC/TLLDC / Test Development – DTEN/DTEL
Research Interests	Litearthacht, An Ghaeilge, Anailís Inscneach/Literacy, Irish language, Gendered Analysis
Professional profile	Tá B.Sc bainte amach ag Róisín sa tSocheolaíocht agus sa Chóir Shóisialta agus tá Máistreacht bainte amach aici sa Staidéar Inscne. Bhain sí an dá chéim seo amach i gColáiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath. Róisín holds a B.Sc. in Sociology & Social Justice and an M.A. in Gender Studies, both from University College Dublin.

Shannon Stubbs

Meadhbh Haicéid

Máirín NicFhionghuin

Role/Grade	Research Assistant
Team	Trial Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach (TGD)
Research Interests	Irish medium education, minority languages, test development, research methodologies, cognitive linguistics, links between Irish and Scottish Gaelic
Professional profile	Máirín NicFhionghuin joined the ERC in June 2025 as a Research Assistant in the TGD team. She has a B.A. Community Education from the University of Strathclyde, Dioplóma Iarchéime sa Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach and an M.Litt in Celtic Studies from the University of Galway. She is currently undertaking M.A. Litríocht agus Cultúr na Gaeilge in University College Cork. She is a native Scottish Gàidhlig speaker, and speaks fluent Irish. Prior to joining the ERC, Máirín worked with Muintearas Teo, a development organisation based in the Connemara Gaeltacht, where she managed Scéim na gCúntóirí Teanga in Conamara, Mayo, Meath and Donegal Gaeltacht schools.

Katie Moore

Role/Grade	Research Assistant
Team	Research – Large Scale Assessments
Research Interests	Inclusive education Educational inequality and social justice Mixed methods research Psychosocial well-being in schools Youth engagement in policy and decision-making
Professional profile	Katie joined the ERC in April 2025 as a Research Assistant, working on PISA 2022 analyses and the educational disadvantage and Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) research programme. Katie holds a B.A. in Psychology from Trinity College Dublin, and an Erasmus Mundus Joint M.A. in Education Policies for Global Development from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of Cyprus. Most recently, Katie worked with the UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report on the development of a global indicator assessing youth engagement in education policymaking. Previously, she has also worked with the Trinity Centre for Global Health on the EU Horizon 2020 REFUGE-ED project and with the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Researcher Profiles	LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moore-katie ORCID-ID: https://orcid.org/my-orcid?orcid=0009-0003-6649-0700

Gráinne Uí Dhomhnaill

Eleni Lagoudaki

Role/Grade	Research Assistant
Team	TIMSS
Research Interests	Large-scale assessments, spatial ability and its role to mathematics performance, development and evaluation of digital educational assessment and training tools
Professional profile	Eleni is a Research Assistant at the ERC, where she assists with managing TIMSS 2027 at Eighth Grade (Second Year in Ireland). Since joining the ERC in June 2025, she has contributed to the TIMSS 2027 Field Trial and is now supporting preparations for the Main Study. She has also been working on TIMSS 2023 data analysis and reporting. She holds a PhD in Mathematics Education from Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, an MSc in Mathematics for Education from the University of Crete, and a BSc in Mathematics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. She completed her doctoral research as a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, working in an international research context on the development and evaluation of digital spatial thinking materials. Furthermore, she examined the effects of digital spatial thinking training on students’ mathematics achievement. Eleni has presented her work at national and international conferences in mathematics education and cognitive psychology.
Researcher Profiles	ORCID – https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5195-2488 ResearchGate – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eleni-Lagoudaki-2?ev=hdr_xprf LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleni-lagoudaki/

Ciara Gallagher

Role/Grade	Research Assistant
Team	Test Development – TGD-G
Research Interests	Language Development across contexts (including Irish-medium and English-medium education), environmental influences on developmental and educational outcomes and educational assessment.
Professional profile	Ciara Gallagher has worked as a Research Assistant on the redevelopment of Triail Ghaeilge Dhroim Conrach since May 2025. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Maynooth University (2023), accredited by the Psychological Society of Ireland, and an MSc in Applied Developmental Psychology from Queen’s University Belfast, completed in 2024.
Researcher Profiles	Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/in/ciara-ní-ghallachóir-8939aa1b6

Cian O’Connor

Brendan Duggan

Barbora Mackova

Emma Kelly

Role/Grade	Librarian
Team	Research
Professional profile	Emma is a library and information professional with over 30yrs experience in a range of environments – academic, public, and specialist. Prior to joining the ERC, Emma worked as Librarian in Dublin City Libraries managing a busy branch library. Before that Emma worked in Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon as Head of Information and Research, managing strategic research goals and projects, and previously as International Arts Information Executive/ European Cultural Contact Point Ireland. Emma has also worked in Avril Robarts Library Liverpool John Moores University, and the Library, Institute of Art, Design and Technology (IADT) Dún Laoghaire. Emma holds the P.G. Dip. in Library and Information Science from U.C.D., with a B.A. in Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin.