About KHNI .

Dr. Lisa Ryan, a Registered Nutritionist, joined ATU in 2015 from Monash University. Lisa co-founded the Irish Concussion Research Centre and is widely published in concussion, nutrition, and functional foods, with research focusing on female rugby players and concussion management.

Dr. Helen Sheridan is the founder and academic director of the NatPro Centre for Natural Product Research located at TCD (2019 – to date).  Helen returned to UCD on an Irish Government Fellowship and carried our research and teaching there, in the area of natural products before taking up her academic position in the SoPPS at TCD.

Melissa R. Kelly, Founder of Science Made Simple, offers nutrition and scientific communications expertise to companies in pet food, human nutrition, supplements, and health tech. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in scientific storytelling, strategic communication, and research innovation. Formerly Senior Principal Nutritionist at Nestlé Purina, Melissa holds a PhD in Human Nutrition Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Dr. Kenneth W. Simpson is a specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology at Cornell University. His research on GI diseases and host-bacterial interactions led to the discovery of adherent-invasive E. coli (AIEC) in dogs with granulomatous colitis, with implications for Crohn’s disease treatment. He holds a PhD in gastroenterology, is a Diplomate of the American and European Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine, and received the WSAVA Award for Scientific Achievement in 2022.

Aisling has over 25 years of experience working in nutritional science including scientific research, clinical nutrition, science communications, and nutritional science & regulations. Her current role involves maintaining the KHNI website, which involves regularly adding content as well as organising KHNI webinars. Additionally, Aisling will continually look for opportunities where the KHNI can participate at external conferences and trade shows.

Erik Bauer is a microbiologist and nutritionist that has over a decade of experience across food, beverage, supplement, and pharmaceuticals. He has been with Kerry for over 8 years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biomedical Microbiology from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a Master’s Degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition through University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

As Sustainable Nutrition Manager at Kerry, Aoife’s role involves assessing Kerry’s global ingredients portfolio for nutrition and sustainability impacts. Aoife is passionate about science communication and manages the Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute, a non-commercial thought leadership platform that disseminates the latest insights in nutrition science for the food industry.