míde people: research disciplines
Physiology, Nutrition, Athletic Development
Dr Catherine Norton
Dr Catherine Norton is an Associate Professor (Sport & Exercise Nutrition) and Registered Dietitian in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the University of Limerick and Míde co-lead for Nutrition, Physiology & Athletic Development. With a commitment to leveraging nutrition to advance health and performance, Catherine’s work spans innovative research in athlete nutrition, nutrition and healthy aging, and strategies for optimising recovery and wellness across diverse populations. Catherine is an enthusiastic supporter of sports at all levels and provides performance nutrition service to professional athletes across many disciplines.
Email : catherine.norton@ul.ie
ORCID: https://orcid.org/ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8973-6759
Bluesky: @nortonnutrition.bsky.social
Dr Niamh Ní Chéilleachair
Niamh is a senior lecturer in the Department of Sport and Health Sciences in TUS Athlone. She is the Performance Lead of the SHE Research Centre, which aims to bridge the gender data gap in sport, health and exercise research. Niamh has a PhD in applied physiology and has a particular interest in female physiology. Her current research projects focus on menstrual health, menstrual cycle tracking and female athlete health and wellbeing. Niamh is also an accredited physiologist with the Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association and has worked with elite athletes across a range of sports in this role
Dr Brendan Egan
(Co-Chair)
Brendan is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Physiology in the School of Health and Human Performance, and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Science and Health, at Dublin City University. His research investigates skeletal muscle function and adaptation across the life course, with special interest in the synergy between nutrition and exercise interventions in populations ranging from athletes to older adults. His research group performs human trials involving both acute and chronic interventions for outcomes around performance (physical and cognitive), recovery and adaptation, and have employed a wide range of experimental designs that have been complimented by molecular analysis tools include transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. Current projects include intervention studies to improve iron status in female athletes and pregnant women, as well as exploring the fuelling needs and practices of female soccer players. As a practitioner, Brendan has worked predominantly with athletes in endurance sports including the Irish Paratriathlon team, and teams in field-based team sports including Dublin hurling, the Republic of Ireland men’s and women’s football teams.
Dr Lisa Ryan
Dr Lisa Ryan is Head of School of Science and Computing at Atlantic Technological University (ATU, Galway City) and research lead for Sport, Exercise and Nutrition. In 2018 she co-founded the Irish Concussion Research Centre (ICRC) and is a leading researcher on concussion management in Sport. She has a particular interest in sex-based differences in concussion presentation and management and the potential role of nutrition in concussion recovery. She is currently leading six European Projects focused primarily on Sport, Exercise and Nutrition fields. Dr Ryan is an advocate for all aspects of women’s health and the promotion and support of women in sport and is actively involved in women's rugby .
Email: lisa.ryan@atu.ie
Dr Jenny Murphy
Jenny is an Assistant Lecturer at ATU Galway. She has a PhD in research methods and statistics in sports and exercise science from TU Dublin. As part of her research, she established the Sports Science Replication Centre and created a worldwide collaborative network of researchers to investigate the replicability of sports and exercise science research. She has a long-term interest in improving the quality and rigor of research in sports and exercise science and her current research includes the Women in Sport Research Collective project to establish research priorities for women's sport on the island of Ireland.
Email: jennifer.murphy@atu.ie