Food and Health

The Food & Health research theme is a cross-faculty grouping identified as an emerging interdisciplinary area within UL’s strategic plan, producing high-quality, high impact research in the area of Food and Health. The research cluster aligns with the ‘Lifestyle & Health’ theme of the HRI by aiming to design, develop and evaluate bioactive functional foods and/or nutrient supplements that enhance human experience, physiological and physical function, and encourage lifestyle changes that result in better health and wellbeing across the lifespan.

To date, research has focused on exploring nutritional and physical activity-induced changes in anthropometric phenotype identified by body composition analysis (www.ul.ie/bodycompositionstudy), tissue metabolism using in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models and the effect of nutrient and physical activity interventions on sarcopenia, osteopenia, obesity, and other clinical conditions. Food and Health at UL (University of Limerick) seeks to generate and evaluate functional foods that improve physiological function to confer a health benefit or performance advantage.

Led by three principal investigators (Dr. Brian Carson, Prof. Phil Jakeman, Dr. Catherine Norton) the cluster brings together a multidisciplinary team of physiologists, cell biologists, dieticians, nutritionists, exercise scientists, and other exercise professionals, who are in support of lively post-graduate research community, housed in modern, well-equipped laboratories. Currently, the research cluster is undertaking research investigating bioactive properties of novel dairy, plant and marine protein sources, and their effects on muscle metabolism and bone turnover. This research is supported by grant awards from the Marine Institute, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and the Marine, Science Foundation Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and private partnerships with Biomarine Ingredients, Carbery and Marigot Ltd, and in collaboration with world-renowned international researchers.

The research cluster will continue to support the the National Technology Centre, Food for Health Ireland (FHI) for Food and Health research in line with Goal 3 of the UN’s Global Agenda, Collaborative engagement with academic and industrial partners, recruitment of high-calibre Marie-Curie International and national post-doctoral fellows and post-graduate researchers are integral components of the programme of research training and output.