Professor Kevin Balanda, Institute of Public Health in Ireland, Professor Ivan Perry, UCC.

Population Health Modelling – the primary objectives of this research cluster are to provide a critical research base for the establishment of an Obesity Observatory for Ireland. Drawing on the existing Irish public health nutrition infrastructure and data resources and on new data and outputs from the Centre, we are also working on statistical ‘Population Prevalence Models’ for diabetes and other nutrition related chronic conditions and on a National Burden of Disease (NBD) study in Ireland, focused on obesity and nutrition related risk factors.

Professor Cecily Kelleher, UCD, and Professor Fionnuala McAuliffe, UCD and National Maternity Hospital.

Diet, Obesity and Health in Pregnancy and Childhood – the focus of work in this cluster is on the effects of maternal diet during pregnancy on foetal growth and risk of obesity in childhood. The work programme includes a series of analyses of the data from an existing inter-generational antenatal cohort study (Lifeways Cohort Study (Lifeways Cross-Generational Study)); and a large randomised controlled trial of the impact of a low glycaemic diet intervention on the prevention of recurrence of macrosomia in pregnancy.

Professor Ivan Perry & Dr Catherine Philips, UCC.

Diet, Obesity and Health in Adults – this research programme is focused on the estimation of the effects of specific dietary exposures and dietary patterns on prevalence, incidence and population trends in obesity, the metabolic syndrome, Type 2 diabetes and major cardiovascular disease (CVD) endpoints in linked cross-sectional and longitudinal studies involving representative samples of middle-aged men and women.

Dr Donal O’Shea, UCD.

Management of Morbid Obesity – we have established a national obesity cohort based on a database of the severely obese adult and paediatric patients referred to all specialist hospital centres for obesity in Ireland. This database is providing a platform for quality assurance in the management of morbid obesity in the Republic of Ireland and it supports recruitment of patients into randomised clinical trials.

Dr Mary McCarthy, UCC, and Professor Patrick Wall, UCD.

Consumer Cognitive Response to Food – the focus of this research programme is on consumer cognitive response to food, including the socio-demographic, psychological, physiological and health status factors that drive consumer food choice.