The Young Academy of Europe (YAE) is a pan-European initiative of outstanding young scientists for networking, advocacy, scientific exchange, and science policy. The YAE is organised as a bottom-up initiative of a dynamic and innovative group of recognised European young scientists and scholars with outspoken views about science and science policy.

Dermot has been recognised for his outstanding leadership through his research in theoretical atomic and molecular physics, chiefly focussing on antimatter-matter interactions, and contributions to the international scientific community, e.g., as a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board for the International Workshop for Positron and Positronium Physics (the flagship conference in the field), Treasurer of the Institute of Physics Ireland, and Secretary of the Institute of Physics UK Atomic and Molecular Interactions Group.