Profile

CV

• Education:

  I started my education at a Primary School back in my home town, St.Patrick’s and continued to Secondary School – St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic High School. At Secondary School my optional subjects were Spanish, Graphics Design and Art and of course, Biology was my favourite mandatory subject, but always struggled learning about the heart for some reason!

  I then continued at Sixth Form completing English Lit and Language at AS and dropped this in the next year, but continued with Art, Chemistry and Biology. Again, Biology was my favourite, along with Art.

  I then moved to Newcastle to start University. I completed a Zoology degree, followed by a Masters in Animal Behaviour. I really enjoyed a module in that Masters degree that focused on Exercise in Health and Disease, and that’s when the transition started from animals to humans.

  I then embarked on my PhD which had another Masters connected to it, in Musculoskeletal Ageing, and then the 3 year PhD in Nutrition and Musculoskeletal Ageing, also fuelled by my love of the gym!

   

   

• Qualifications:

  GCSE’s

  AS and A Levels

  BSc Hons

  Masters

  PhD

• Work History:

  My first job was at a Wildlife Park where I was a Cafe Assistant. I gained this role through volunteering at the zoo as a zoo keeper during my work experience in Secondary School.

  I then did a LOT of volunteering at University which was really varied such as tree planting, litter picking and making hedgehog homes.

  I also worked for the University as a representative, showing prospective students and their parents around the University and answering questions.

  I completed a research scholarship during the 2nd year of my undergraduate degree, looking at nutrition in honey bees, again fuelling my interest for health and nutrition, and then was offered a short term job for a few months in the lab before they moved down to Oxford University.

  During my PhD I worked as a demonstrator where I helped lecturers either present seminars, set up laboratory sessions or mark students work. I also got involved in other projects, such as helping with research trials.

• Current Job:

  Research Theme: Plant-based diets, iodine, and neurodevelopmental outcomes; development of a dietary iodine risk score for use in pregnancy

  • To develop a dietary iodine risk score considering intake and inhibitors (e.g., goitrogens) in pregnancy using existing dietary data in pregnant women.
  • To evaluate whether the dietary iodine risk score relates to maternal biomarkers (urinary iodine status and thyroid function).
  • To explore whether a high iodine risk score in pregnancy is negatively associated with child neurodevelopment up to age 9.
  • To investigate whether any such relationship between iodine deficiency in pregnancy (based on biomarkers and/or the dietary risk score) and child neurodevelopmental outcomes is moderated by the iodine intake in childhood.

• Employer:

  I am currently employed by the University of Surrey until Feb 2025 and I am an Associate of Newcastle University.