Celine Murrin

Dr. Celine Murrin is an Associate Professor in Public Health Nutrition at the School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Sports Science at University College Dublin. She currently serves as Deputy Head of School (since September 2024) and Director of the National Nutrition Surveillance Centre (since March 2025). Dr. Murrin also chairs the Healthy UCD steering committee and represents Public Health Nutrition on the Nutrition Council of the Irish Heart Foundation. She was appointed by the Minister of Agriculture to the Horticulture Board of Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board.

Dr. Murrin earned her BSc in Biochemistry from University College Dublin, followed by an MSc in Human Nutrition from Ulster University in 1998. After working in consumer advocacy and the nutrition commercial sector, she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Promotion from the University of Galway and returned to academia, eventually earning her PhD in Public Health Nutrition from University College Dublin in 2011.

Her research focuses on public health nutrition with specific emphasis on childhood obesity and its early origins. Dr. Murrin investigates maternal diet during pregnancy, family influences, and food environments during childhood and adolescence. She employs participatory, co-creation methods to understand children's food environments and develop effective interventions. Her work examines socio-ecological determinants of dietary behaviors and has involved collaborations on international projects including the EU JPI DEDIPAC and PEN initiatives.

Analysis of Dr. Murrin's recent publications reveals a strong focus on developmental origins of health and disease, particularly how maternal and paternal lifestyle factors influence childhood obesity outcomes. Her work consistently utilizes the Lifeways Cross-Generation Cohort study to examine placental parameters, dietary patterns, and health outcomes across generations. A growing thread in her research involves health literacy interventions and co-design approaches to develop effective public health strategies for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

• Oral Presentation Prize at Summer Meeting (May 2018)
• Invited speaker at Joint International and European Congress on Obesity (September 2020)
• Appointed by the Minister of Agriculture to the Horticulture Board of Bord Bia (May 2017)

As Deputy Director of the National Nutrition Surveillance Centre, Dr. Murrin leads collaborative work with the Health Service Executive, Health and Wellbeing division. She has served as Principal Investigator for multiple significant research projects including the Evaluation of the EU School Food Scheme in Ireland, Evaluation of a preschool milk scheme intervention, Health Literacy in Adolescents, Perceptions of food treats for children, and Food for children in social spaces. Her extensive teaching portfolio includes coordinating modules on Applied Clinical Nutrition for Healthcare, Nutrition & Communication, Health Promotion, Promoting Consumer Nutrition, and Public Health Nutrition across various academic years.

Dr. Murrin actively contributes to several research teams and initiatives, most notably as Director of the National Nutrition Surveillance Centre at UCD. She collaborates extensively through the Policy Evaluation Network (PEN) and has contributed to European-wide efforts to harmonize dietary and physical activity surveillance. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy applications, particularly in school nutrition programs and obesity prevention strategies across multiple European countries.