Specialist Staff
Dr Lisa Ryan
Dr Lisa Ryan has an extensive background in working with the sports industry and providing training and education in sport and nutrition. She has a first-class honours degree in Nutritional Science and a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from University College Cork.
Following her studies at UCC Dr Ryan took up a Senior Lecturing post at Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom, before moving on to another Senior Lectureship at Oxford Brookes University in 2008. Here she joined the Functional Food Centre (FFC) and established the University's Phytochemical Research Group. In 2010 she took over the FFC as Operations Director and turned the centre into one of the few profit-generating organisations within the University.
While in the UK, Dr Ryan also worked with the GB Olympic team and the English rugby development squad. Subsequently, she was invited to Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, to help establish the BASE (Be Active Sleep & Eat) Research Facility and lead the Functional Food research stream.
Dr Ryan has attracted considerable research income in the areas of functional foods, sport and health. To date, she has worked with over 50 food industry partners and has attracted research funding from agencies such as the UK's Medical Research Council, The Nuffield Trust and The Wellcome Trust.
In 2015, Dr Ryan was awarded the prestigious Agrifood Fellowship in Australia to investigate the potential of marine polyphenols as anti-diabetic agents. She is widely published in the area of functional foods and has given many invited national and international presentations.
Dr Ryan is also a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition.
Contact Details
Dr Lisa Ryan
Tel: +353 (0)91 742556
Email: lisa.ryan@atu.ie
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Dr Ed Daly
Dr Daly has in excess of thirteen years’ experience in sports coach education in professional sport. His has actively built research collaborations which focus on mTBI (concussion) and CTE on a national and international level. Dr Dalys particular areas of interest are in mTBI identification, management, and reduction methodologies.
Before moving to a career in lecturing, Ed worked in professional sports and spent over ten years as a coach with Munster Rugby, coaching age-grade players on the professional player development pathway.
His PhD from Oxford Brookes University (UK) focused on investigating concussion identification, concussion management and concussion reduction strategies. In addition, he holds an MSc in Strength and Conditioning and is an accreditation IRFU/World Rugby S&C coach and an accredited World Rugby Coach Educator.
He is a qualified sports injury therapist focused on biomechanics, with significant experience in the applied aspect of resistance training/weightlifting techniques with IRFU/Munster S&C staff for age-grade players
Contact Details
Ed Daly
Tel: +353 (0)91 742320
Email: Ed.Daly@atu.ie
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Maria McDonagh
Maria McDonagh holds an Honours Bachelor of the Laws Degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Studies from the National University of Ireland Galway, and has over ten years’ professional experience across the academic and financial services sectors in Ireland.
Maria’s core areas of competence include business development, communications and marketing. While working as a consultant within the academic sector, Maria has been involved in the development and growth of several private training and start-up companies. She also holds specialist expertise in regulation and compliance and has comprehensive experience in designing bespoke quality assurance systems, conducting system audits and implementing and supporting revised systems.
Maria is the Business Development Manager for Medicinal Nutrition in ATU’s MET Gateway. Here she acts as the primary interface between ATU and industry, promoting and coordinating industry training and research projects in the areas of Food Science, Nutrition and Sport.
With extensive experience within the discipline of excellence in project implementation and delivery, Maria also manages some of ATU’s internationally funded research projects aimed at boosting food innovation and most recently in the prevalence of Concussion in Sport.
Contact Details
Maria McDonagh
Tel: +353 (0)91 742510
Email: maria.mcdonagh@atu.ie
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