The Irish Section Nutrition Society Postgraduate Conference was hosted recently by SHE Research based in TUS Athlone. This national event, in its 33rd year, was held in Athlone for the first time in its history. The postgraduate meeting provides an opportunity for PhD and Masters research students to present their ongoing research to peers in a friendly and supportive environment. This meeting is also, uniquely, organised by postgraduates, namely Ciara Goland, Miriam Murphy, Omid Eslami and Jennifer Whelan from SHE Research. This group organised the programme of speakers, promotion, registration, hospitality and entertainment in collaboration with Nutrition Society London office. Over 70 delegates attended the 3-day conference held in the Shamrock Lodge hotel in Athlone.
It was a wonderful lively event and the feedback from delegates reflects an appreciation for the stellar work by the students. The Chair of the Irish Section Nutrition Society, Prof Alison Gallagher complimented the organisers, ‘On behalf of the Irish Section Nutrition Society, I would like to commend the team on organising an excellent conference and congratulate them on a varied and interesting programme. It was also a fantastic opportunity for connecting, networking and socialising’.
The students were guided by Dr Geraldine Cuskelly, SHE PI & Dr Trish Heavey, SHE Nutrition Pillar Lead. This conference comes on the back of Dr Trish Heavey and the Nutrition team having successfully hosted the main Irish Section Nutrition Society meeting in June 2023 on the Athlone campus. The theme of the conference was ‘Understanding the role of sex and gender in nutrition research’ which reflects the vision of SHE Research, which is to bridge the gender data gap in sport, health and exercise science. Dr Aoife Lane, SHE Lead & Head of the Dept of Sport & Health commented, ‘Our nutrition students organised a fantastic national event, no mean feat, and this experience, not only helps to strengthen our research reputation, but also gives students excellent transferrable skills in research event management’.
Photo shows (l-r), Prof Alison Gallagher, Ciara Goland, Miriam Murphy, Omid Eslami and Jennifer Whelan.
