Can
you explain your research? And what results / outcomes do you hope to achieve
in the long term?
Being Irish, I was brought up on
tea and later on in life developed a love for coffee, chocolate and red
wine. I often joke that my research
career developed out of trying to justify some of my dietary habits. My area of
research predominantly focuses on the potential health beneficial effects of chemicals
in plants known as polyphenols (found in all fruits and vegetables; also
readily available in chocolate, tea/coffee and red wine). I am particularly
interested in their ability to affect the blood glucose response and insulin
sensitivity. I hope that this research will lead to the discovery of natural
compounds that may be useful in protecting against the development of type 2
diabetes. My research also includes
examining the potential of these compounds as functional ingredients to aid in
the development of novel functional foods.
When
you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I really
wanted to be a lawyer however I followed the OJ Simpson trial religiously which
completely put me off.
What
do you enjoy doing outside work?
I love spending time with my family ‘discovering Australia’ as we are
still relatively new here, playing hockey or running along the beach with my
dog in toe.
Something
your work colleagues probably don’t know about you?
I hold a black belt in kickboxing…I
tend to keep that information to myself until I need to mention it!
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