Principal Investigator and Lecturer in Host Microbiome Interactions in the Environment. Dr. Waters research programme is focused on understanding ruminant microbiomes and their interactions with the host animal to improve animal health, productivityand the environment. She is particularly interested in the role of the rumen microbiome, its interaction with the host ruminant in order to improve nutrient utilization from feed and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., methane). A key focusis the development and evaluation feed additives and breeding strategies to reduce enteric methane from agriculture. Her research programme also aims to understand the host-gene expression and multi-site microbiome response to diseases in calfhood such as bovine respiratory disease in order to develop new diagnostic tools and treatments. Her research is funded mainly by EU Horizon and nationally by SFI and government agencies such as the Irish Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marines (via the RSF, US-Ireland and Ireland-New Zealand calls) and thus plays a role in influencing national and EU policy. She holds many international roles in the area of agri-environment such as the Co-chair of the Livestock Research Group of the Global Research Alliance for Agricultural Greenhouse Gas emissions (2018-2023) and a member (Irish Representative) of the EU Expert Group on agricultural methane emissions, appointed by DG-AGRI under the EU methane strategy (action 10) to provide expertise to the EU Commission (since May 2021). She delivered keynote presentations at many international conferences including the International Symposium for Ruminant Physiology in Chicago (2024) and the International Society for Microbiology in Liverpool (2025) has supervised ~20 PhD and 3 MSc students to completion as Principal Supervisor over her 20 year career.

Dr. Waters research programme isfocusedon understanding ruminant microbiomes and their interactions with the host animal to improve animal health, productivityand the environment. She is particularly interested in the role of the rumen microbiome, its interaction with the host ruminant in orderto improve nutrient utilization from feed and reducing greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., methane). A key focus is the development and evaluation feed additives and breeding strategies to reduce enteric methane from agriculture.Her research programme also aims to understand the host-gene expression and multi-site microbiome response to diseases in calfhood such as bovine respiratory disease in order to develop new diagnostic tools and treatments. Her research is funded mainly by EU Horizon and national government agencies such as the Irish Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marines and thus plays a role in influencing national and EU policy.

Lecturer in Microbiology - 3rd year MI323 Food and Industry Microbiology. 4th year - host 4 final year students for research projects.

Lecturer in Plant and Agri-Biosciences (2nd and 4th Years): Rumen microbiology, agri GHG (and particularly methane) emissions, livestock genomics: PAB2101 and PAB4101.

Lecturer in Agricultural Sciences: 2nd and 4th years.

Lecturer in Masters in Agriculture, Sustainability and Technology. Topics covered:Agriculture, GHG emissions in Agriculture, Rumen microbiology and methane emissions, development of methane mitigation strategies, regulatory approval of novel technologies such as feed additives. Animal genomics, breeding strategies and genetic engineering in livestock.

Developed new module: Microbiomes underpinning Agriculture - 4th year Microbiology, Agricultural Sciences and Plant and Agri-Biosciences.

4th year Microbiology (MI405): Research supervisor for 4 final year projects (September - January).

Dr. Waters has led over 10 Teagasc core funded projects to completion and has successfully managed a wide range of international research projects to the value of €12M. Project funding has come from a range of sources including and Teagasc NDP funded projects, EU Horizon, Research Ireland (Principal Investigator of two Awards: Research Frontiers Programme and Career Development Award), FACCE- ERA-GAS ERA-NET, US-Ireland Tripartite R&D Partnership in Agriculture, Department of Agriculture and Food and the Marine Research Stimulus Fund, Programme for Research in Third Level Institution; Joint Programming Initiative for Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change, the Canadian Agricultural Funding Consortium Alberta Livestock Meat Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Canadian funding agency),  Research Ireland funded Co-Centres and the Global Methane Hub Accelerator fund.

Current active funded projects include: