Full Professor
UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science
UCD Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research
Helen is Full Professor of Nutrigenomics at UCD School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science and Director of UCD Conway Institute. A leading expert in human nutrition, dietetics and molecular nutrition, she has supervised more than 30 PhD scientists and a similar number of post-doctoral researchers.
"In my role as UCD Conway Institute Director a key personal objective has been to facilitate Ad Astra and Emerging Investigator success. In creating the Conway Ad Astra Forum we facilitate inclusive, cross-sectional and inter-disciplinary research opportunities for the next generation of scientists at UCD."
I often say to mentees ‘Cream always rises to the top’, it might take time, but excellence always comes through. Just set your goals, re-set them again as the environment changes and keep going!
In 2021, Helen received the SFI Mentorship Award for her dedication to the development of research talent, including her supervision and mentorship of more than 30 PhD students and a similar number of postdoctoral scientists.
Helen is a world leader in researching personalised nutrition, particularly around obesity, muscle loss through ageing and type 2 diabetes. Her Nutrigenomics research team focuses on Precision Nutrition – specifically the impact of diet on metabolism and inflammation in obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity-related cancer.
Nutrigenomics uses state-of-the-art 'omics' to investigate the molecular effects of diet on health, to provide hard evidence. Whilst nutrition plays a critical role in health and disease, too often the mechanistic basis is lacking – and Helen and her team seek to fill that evidence gap.
In Europe, she has led several initiatives relating to food, nutrition and health. She chaired the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Healthy Life, Healthy Diet Joint Programming Initiative (2015 to 2019). She advises UK and US grant agencies including the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation and UK Nutrition Research Partnership.
Promoting ‘All-Ireland’ research, she is Visiting Professor of Nutrition at Queen’s University Belfast, providing the opportunity to link universities and the work of their academics north and south. She is also a board member of the RCSI Hospital Group, aiming to bring scientific research closer to more fully support health care providers.
She is a Science Foundation Ireland Principal Investigator and a Food for Health Ireland Principal Investigator. She was recently appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Healthy Life Healthy Diet Joint Programming Initiative. The objective of which is to achieve greater pan-European research integration relating to Food and Health.
Helen says: "One of the most rewarding and fulfilling part of my role is seeing so many mentees succeed in attaining both personal and professional goals. I often say to mentees ‘Cream always rises to the top’, it might take time, but excellence always comes through. Just set your goals, re-set them again as the environment changes and keep going!"