معرفی
Eibhlís O'Connor is an Associate Professor at the University of Limerick, holding appointments in the Department of Biological Sciences, Bernal Institute, and Health Research Institute. She is a registered human nutritionist and course director of the BSc Food Science and Health program. Her research focuses on vitamin K-dependent proteins' roles in bone metabolism, cardiovascular health, and cognition, alongside gut microbiota modulation through diet, particularly in older populations and pediatric obesity. She leads the ELDERMET project investigating microbiome-diet interactions and coordinates the Irish contribution to the MaNuEL Knowledge Hub addressing malnutrition in the elderly.
Education: BSc (Hons) and PhD in Nutritional Sciences from University College Cork (2004, 2009). Postdoctoral work included clinical trials on bone health in Crohn's disease patients and microbiome research with APC Microbiome Ireland. She collaborates with University Hospital Limerick on cardiovascular biomarkers and has SFI-funded projects through APC Microbiome Ireland.
Research Interests:
- Vitamin K-dependent proteins in health/disease
- Gut microbiota modulation by diet
- Malnutrition determinants in older adults
- Obesity risk factors in children/adolescents
- Functional food development for healthy aging
Key Contributions:
- MaNuEL Knowledge Hub coordinator (22 partners across 7 countries)
- Work Package leader for Malnutrition Determinants group
- Principal Investigator on dietary interventions (e.g., yeast β-glucan studies)
Labs/Teams: Member of BioSciBER group in Bernal Institute and Health Research Institute. Active collaborations with APC Microbiome Ireland and University Hospital Limerick.
