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Dr. Maria O'Sullivan

Associate Professor in Human Nutrition (Clinical Medicine)
TRINITY CENTRE, S J H

 maria.osullivan@tcd.ie

 3531896 4039


Biography

Associate Professor in Nutrition and a Principal Investigator at Trinity College Dublin with 25+ years' experience in nutrition. I have a strong research profile in nutrition, particularly across vitamin D inflammation, ageing, malnutrition, digestive diseases, and in running nutrition interventions and clinical trials (RCTs). My work has been recognised internationally, and I was the first Irish recipient of the Cuthbertson Medal (2013) awarded by the Nutrition Society at the College of Surgeons in London. I have held several committee roles in IrSPEN, the Nutrition Society and the Royal Irish Academy. I am past Editor-in-Chief of Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (2012-16) which doubled in Impact Factor from 2.6 to 5.2. I am a proactive, motivated, enthusiastic professional with a proven ability for teaching, mentoring, research, publishing, communication, fundraising, leadership, project management.I have over 170 publications, including 70 full papers. In teaching, I am the Director (Deputy) at Trinity for the BSc Human Nutrition & Dietetics joint degree, and a postgraduate PhD and reserch supervisor. I have received a Dean's Award in teaching innovations (2017) and was nominated for the Excellence in Research Student Supervision Award (2022). https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1152-979X

Research Tags

  BMI/Obesity   Brain-gut, Mast cells   Clinical nutrition/malnutrition   Functional Bowel Disorders   Malnutrition   Mucosal immunology   OBESITY   Tight junction proteins   VITAMIN D   VITAMIN-D DEFICIENCY   VITAMIN-D SUPPLEMENTATION

Research Projects

 Supporting physical function in community dwelling older adults - a focus on health inequality and ageing in place
 Chronic Disease in community dwelling older adults - associations with area level deprivation
 Embedding physical activity to improve and maintain functional status in older adults: A feasibility study on the implementation of the Care to Move (CTM) programme
 Effects of Vitamin D on cognition and inflammation in healthy older adults- A Randomised Controlled Trial
 Vitamin D deficiency in ageing, and associations with muscle function and inflammation

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Representations

Details Date
Editor in Chief of the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society (Impact Factor 5.2) 2012-2016
Royal Irish Academy, Committee for Life and Medical Sciences, Appointed Member 2014
Member of the Scientific Committee; Member of the Publications Committee, the Nutrition Society UK 2012-2016
Chair of the Research Committee, and Management Committee member for the Irish Society for Clinical Nutrition & Metabolism (IrSPEN) 2013-17
Research Committee Member, Health & Social Care Professions, Ireland 2012-15
Irish Representative on the Management Committee for the European COST action 'BM1007: Mast Cells and Basophils - Targets for Innovative Therapies 2011-14' 2011-14
Invited Expert Evaluator for EU FP7-Health (obesity-metabolism) as a remote reviewer, on-site Panel member and Panel representative, Brussels. 2009
Invited Expert evaluator for the American Institute of Biological Sciences for grants awarded by the US Government Department of Defence. Washington DC. 2008
Broad Medical Research Program for IBD, CA, USA. Invited grant reviewer. 2005-date
Programme National de Researches sur la Nutrition Humaine (PRNH), France. Invited expert reviewer 2004-2005
Invited reviewer for over 14 high impact journals including British Medical Journal open; Cochrane; Gastroenterology, Gut, Inflammatory Bowel Disease; Journal of Crohn's and Colitis; Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics; Digestive Diseases ;'European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology'; Nutrients; Age & Ageing; 2001-date
Member of the Management Committee and Scientific committee and a PI in the 'Centre of Applied Sciences for Health (CASH), a government (HEA/PRTLI Cycle 4) funded research consortium www.appliedscience4health.ie 2008-2012

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details Date From Date To
Royal Irish Academy, Committee for Life and Medical Sciences, Appointed Member 2014 2017
Nutrition Society Member (2007-date), Member of the Scientific Committee and of the Publications Committee of the Nutrition Society UK (2012-16), 2007 date
Research Committee Member, Health & Social Care Professions 2012 2015
Chair of Research Committee, and Management Committee Member Irish Society for Clinical Nutrition & Metabolism (IrSPEN) 2013 2015
American Gastroenterological Association 1999 2012
Irish Nutrition & Dietetic Institute 2011
Functional Brain Gut Research Group 2000 2008
Associate Member of Irish Society of Gastroenterology 2000 2013
European Society of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) 2004 2017
Women in Science & Engineering TCD (current) Association for Women in Science (2001-3) 2008
Curtis, Molly, Swan, Lauren, Fox, Rebecca, Warters, Austin, O"Sullivan, Maria, Associations between Body Mass Index and Probable Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Nutrients, 15, (6), 2023, p1505 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Lauren Swan, N Frances Horgan, Chie Wei Fan, Austin Warters, Maria O'Sullivan. , Residential area socioeconomic deprivation is associated with physical dependency and polypharmacy in community-dwelling older adults: an analysis of health administrative data in Ireland, Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 2022, pin press accepted Aug 25, 2022 , Journal Article, IN_PRESS
Lauren Swan, Austin Warters, Maria O'Sullivan, Socioeconomic Disadvantage is Associated with Probable Sarcopenia in Community-dwelling Older Adults: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, The Journal of Frailty & Aging, 2022, p10.14283/jfa.2022.32 , Notes: [J Frailty Aging 2022; http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jfa.2022.32], Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Swan, Lauren, Horgan, N Frances, Cummins, Vanda, Burton, Elissa, Galvin, Rose, Skelton, Dawn A, Townley, Bex, Doyle, Frank, Jabakhanji, Samira, Sorensen, Jan, Rooney, Debbie, Murphy, Lisa, Warters, Austin, O'Sullivan, Maria, Embedding Physical Activity Within Community Home Support Services for Older Adults in Ireland " A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Enablers, Clinical Interventions in Aging, Volume 17, 2022, p223-234 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Swan, Lauren, Martin, Niamh, Horgan, N Frances, Warters, Austin, O"Sullivan, Maria, Assessing Sarcopenia, Frailty, and Malnutrition in Community-Dwelling Dependant Older Adults"An Exploratory Home-Based Study of an Underserved Group in Research, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, (23), 2022, p16133 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Burton, Elissa, Horgan, N Frances, Cummins, Vanda, Warters, Austin, Swan, Lauren, O'Sullivan, Maria, Skelton, Dawn A, Townley, Bex, Doyle, Frank, Jabakhanji, Samira, Sorensen, Jan, Rooney, Debbie, Murphy, Lisa, Galvin, Rose, A Qualitative Study of Older Adults" Experiences of Embedding Physical Activity Within Their Home Care Services in Ireland, Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, Volume 15, 2022, p1163-1173 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Horgan, Frances, Cummins, Vanda, Skelton, Dawn A., Doyle, Frank, O"Sullivan, Maria, Galvin, Rose, Burton, Elissa, Sorensen, Jan, Jabakhanji, Samira Barbara, Townley, Bex, Rooney, Debbie, Jackson, Gill, Murphy, Lisa, Swan, Lauren, O"Neill, Mary, Warters, Austin, Enhancing Existing Formal Home Care to Improve and Maintain Functional Status in Older Adults: Results of a Feasibility Study on the Implementation of Care to Move (CTM) in an Irish Healthcare Setting, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19, (18), 2022, p11148 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Swan, Lauren, Warters, Austin, O'Sullivan, Maria, Socioeconomic Inequality and Risk of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Clinical Interventions in Aging, Volume 16, 2021, p1119-1129 , Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
Laird E, Walsh JB, Lanham-New S, O'Sullivan M, Kenny RA, Scully H, Crowley V, Healy M., A High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency Observed in an Irish South East Asian Population: A Cross-Sectional Observation Study., Nutrients, 12, (12), 2020, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
L Swan, A Warters, M O'Sullivan , Socioeconomic Inequality Is A Determinant Of Probable Sarcopenia In Community dwelling Older Adults. , ESPEN Conference 2020, Sept, 2020, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
  

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Awards and Honours

Award Date
Nominated for the Excellence in Research Student Supervision, Award, Trinity 2022
Dove Medical Press Video Abstract Award 2022, for our paper 'Embedding Physical Activity within Community Home Support Services for Older Adults in Ireland 2022
Open Access best Paper Award, Social Care, Health Service Executive, Dec 2018 2018
Dean's Award for Innovations in Teaching, TCD, for developments in inter-professional learning 2017
Best paper published in the European UEG Journal 2016 for our team, Presented in Vienna, Oct 2016. 2016
Sir David Cuthbertson Medal, awarded at the Royal College of Surgeons London by the Nutrition Society UK. First Irish recipient, in 23 years since award initiation 2013
Honorary Editor in Chief, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2012
Mentored award winning graduate students e.g. Many distinguished Research Awards, Prizes and Medals 2004-date
Formerly Editor for PNS, and Peer-Reviewer for 12 high impact journals.
Invited Faculty: American Gastroenterological Association, Focused Research Roundtable Session. Inflammation and Functional Bowel Disease May 2010, New Orleans, USA. 2010
Invited and Guest speaker, e.g. University of Cambridge, University of Gothenburg, European and National Conferences 2008
Young Investigator Award, Functional Brain-Gut Research Group, USA 2002
Nominated for United European Gastroenterology Federation 'rising star in Gastroenterology'. 2004
The Haughton Institute Career Support Award 2002
Health Research Board Travel Award to attend the National Cancer Institute 2003
Trinity Trust Travel Awards 1996, 97
Scientific Hospital Supplies Ltd., Postgraduate Research Scholarship 1994
Graduate Medal in Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics 1992
Awarded a place and funding for the highly competitive American Gastroenterological Association Academic Skills Workshop, Florida 2005