Dr Niall M Byrne graduated from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland with a First Class Honours in Biomedical Science (with Diploma in Professional Practice) in 2009. He subsequently completed his PhD at the University of Ulster in 2014 in the laboratory of Prof Stephanie McKeown and Dr Jenny Worthington, investigating the role of the tumour microenvironment in the treatment response of prostate tumours. During the course of his PhD Niall developed a keen interest in intravital imaging techniques and the role of tumour hypoxia in malignant progression.

In September 2014 Niall relocated to Sydney, Australia to continue his research interests in prostate cancer, joining the laboratory of Prof Peter Croucher and Prof Mike Rogers in the Bone Biology Division at the world-renowned Garvan Institute of Medical Research. During this time he worked as part of the multi-institutional ProMis program, investigating the role of the bone microenvionment in controlling the fate of dormant tumour cells in prostate cancer bone metastasis; utilising single cell technologies and intravital imaging techniques.

Niall returned to the UK in September 2019 to take up a research fellow position in the laboratory of Dr Jonathan Coulter in the School of Pharmacy at Queens University Belfast. Furthering his research interests in prostate cancer, he is currently investigating nanotherapeutics, specifically functionalised gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) for the treatment of prostate cancer.