Neuroscience  ·  Physiology  ·  AI Coaching

Kelly Byrne
Human performance scientist.

MSc by Research at Trinity College Dublin studying how AI coaching shapes motivation, physiology, and neural engagement during high-effort exercise. Now seeking commercial roles in pharma, med-tech, and health technology where scientific credibility, communication, and athlete-grade resilience translate into real impact.

About

A scientist who can sell the science

I'm a neuroscience and physiology graduate from Trinity College Dublin, completing an MSc by Research at the intersection of human performance, AI coaching, and physiological measurement.

I've authored a 60-page literature review on AI in sport and exercise performance — one of the first systematic analyses of this emerging field — and recently completed a 37-participant pilot study with novel findings on how digital coaching reproduces the effects of live human encouragement.

My background spans laboratory research, undergraduate teaching to cohorts of 200+, and a career as an Irish international squash player. I'm now looking to apply that scientific foundation in a commercial healthcare environment — where evidence-based communication, relationship-building, and a high-performance mindset create direct impact.

Quick facts

CurrentlyMSc by Research, TCD
FieldNeuroscience & Physiology
LocationDublin, Ireland
Open toDublin · London · EU
AvailableFrom late 2026
TargetsPharma · Med-tech · Health-tech
Research Spotlight

A novel finding in human performance science

As part of my MSc by Research, I designed and executed a within-subject pilot study comparing live human coaching, standardised digital voice coaching, and an instructions-only control across three high-effort exercise tasks.

Pilot Study Findings

Digital coaching reproduced the acute performance effects of live human encouragement — a novel finding in this emerging field.

To my knowledge, no published study has directly compared live human coaching, standardised digital voice coaching, and an instructions-only control within a single within-subject design across multiple high-effort exercise tasks. The study used multimodal physiological measurement including HRV, EMG, RPE, and Wingate sprint power output.

37
Participants (21F · 16M, aged 18–30)
+21%
Wall-sit endurance vs control under coached conditions (p<.001)
3
Tasks: wall sit · handgrip · 30-sec Wingate
Education

Trained at Ireland's leading research university

2025 — Present

MSc by Research — Physiology & Neuroscience

Trinity College Dublin · School of Medicine
  • Research title: Optimising Human Performance with AI Coaching: Mechanisms of Motivation, Physiology, and Neural Engagement
  • Pilot study (n=37) directly comparing human, digital, and control coaching conditions across wall sit, handgrip, and Wingate sprint tasks
  • Authored a 60-page systematic literature review on AI in sport and exercise performance — one of the first comprehensive analyses of this interdisciplinary field
  • Multimodal data: HRV, EDA, lactate, cortisol, EMG, portable EEG across laboratory and field settings
  • Supervised by Prof. Áine Kelly (Physiology) and Dr Giovanni Di Liberto (Computer Science & AI)
  • €2,000 Trinity research funding · GOIPG Postgraduate Scholarship reserve list (2025)
2021 — 2025

BA (Mod.) Biological & Biomedical Sciences — Neuroscience

Trinity College Dublin
  • Achieved II.1 overall with First-Class Honours (72%) in final-year Capstone Research Project
  • Capstone thesis: The Effects of Repeated Exposure on Scene Recognition Performance in Females — 60-page experimental dissertation, full project lifecycle
  • Advanced skills in experimental design, cognitive testing, SPSS-based statistical analysis, and academic writing
2020

Leaving Certificate

Institute of Education, Dublin
  • 565 points — H1 grades in Biology and Chemistry
Experience

Research, teaching, and stakeholder engagement

2025 — Present

Tutor — "Hacking Your Health" Module

Trinity College Dublin
  • Delivered weekly tutorials to cohorts of 200 undergraduates across two semesters on neuroscience, health behaviour, and digital performance optimisation
  • Facilitate evidence-based discussion, guide literature evaluation, and translate complex physiological science into accessible insights
  • Adapt communication style across diverse audiences — directly transferable to clinical education and HCP engagement
2025 — Present

Laboratory Assistant — Department of Physiology

Trinity College Dublin
  • Support delivery of undergraduate medical and physiology practicals including haematology and cardiovascular physiology sessions
  • Responsible for experimental setup, safety monitoring, and guiding students in real-time data collection and physiological interpretation
  • Supervising final-year undergraduates on fNIRS and cognitive task projects — providing structured feedback on methodology and scientific writing
2024 — 2025

Undergraduate Research Assistant — Neuroscience

Trinity College Dublin
  • Independently designed and executed an experimental study on cognitive performance and scene recognition (n=30+)
  • Managed full project lifecycle: ethics approval, participant recruitment, data collection, SPSS analysis, and written and oral reporting
  • Achieved First-Class result; findings contributed to literature on performance across digital and physical task modalities
Key Competencies

Where science meets commercial

Scientific Communication

Presenting complex physiological and neuroscience data clearly to clinical, student, and non-expert audiences across cohorts of 200+.

Physiological Measurement

HRV, EDA, ECG, EEG, EMG, lactate sampling — both laboratory and field-based protocols.

Research & Analysis

Experimental design, SPSS, R, MATLAB, mixed-effects models, repeated-measures analysis.

Stakeholder Engagement

Teaching 200+ undergraduates · supervising capstone projects · participant management · ethics committee liaison.

Commercial Awareness

Deep understanding of AI health technology, wearables, digital coaching, and the human performance market.

Performance Mindset

Irish international squash player — resilience, focus, and target-driven competitive experience under pressure.

Academic Output

Selected research and writing

Achievements

Beyond the lab

Athletics

Represented Ireland in Squash — World Championships (Malaysia) and European Championships (Sweden)

Leadership

Captain, GAA team — led team to county final (2020); multiple leadership and sportsmanship awards

Academic

First-Class Capstone Research Project (2025), Trinity College Dublin

Memberships

Active member: Neuroscience Society TCD & Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN)

Let's talk

I'm actively exploring commercial roles in pharma, med-tech, and health technology — open to opportunities in Dublin, London, and across Europe.

Get in touch