Dr Aoife Caffrey

Overview

Dr Aoife Caffrey graduated from Ulster University with a PhD in Human Nutrition. She worked as a Research Associate within the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE) on a range of externally funded (UKRI) project (2018-present) with the overarching aim to investigate nutrition and brain health from early life to older age. Dr Caffrey is currently running the day-to-day management of The EpiBrain Project (awarded by the European JPI-HDHL scheme and funded by the UKRI). This is a multidisciplinary international project investigating the effects of folate and brain health across the lifespan, with collaborators in Spain, Ireland and Canada. Dr Caffrey has also contributed to teaching responsibilities as a Lecturer, Teaching Assistant, and e-Tutor in Biostatistics within the School of Biomedical Sciences (part time; 2017-2021).

At NICHE, Aoife has been actively involved in the management of research teams on the UKRI-EpiFASSTT, JPI-VALID, JPI-DERiVE and JPI-EpiBrain projects (all awarded by the European JPI-HDHL scheme and funded by the UKRI Research Councils). Most recently, she was selected by international researchers to lead the UKRI Global Food Security (GFS) Policy Lab Award as Principal Investigator (PI). In recognition of this, the GFS award (Grant Ref: 81929R) was held at UU to fund the development of a policy report that was launched on an international scale at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November 2021.

Research Interests

Dr Caffrey is a Research Associate within the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), School of Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University. She graduated with a MSc in Human Nutrition in 2014, after which, she successfully completed a PhD within NICHE. During her PhD, Aoife gained valuable multidisciplinary experience working with world leading experts in Genomic Medicine, Psychology, Epigenetics, Nutrition, Geography, and Intelligence Systems.

As a post-doctoral researcher, since December 2018, Dr Caffrey has a lead role on a range of externally funded international projects (EpiFASSTT, VALID, and DERiVE). With the overarching aim to investigate nutrition and brain health from early life to older age. Dr Caffrey is currently running the day-to-day management of The EpiBrain Project (awarded by the European JPI-HDHL scheme and funded by the UKRI). This is a multidisciplinary international project investigating the effects of folate and brain health across the lifespan, with collaborators in Spain, Ireland, and Canada.

Teaching Interests

Dr Caffrey has held a number of teaching positions (Lecturer, Teaching Assistant, e-Tutor, Demonstrator) within the School of Biomedical Sciences at Ulster University.

Her teaching interests include: Human Nutrition (B vitamins, one-carbon metabolism and health), Food Science, Biostatistics, Applied Research Methods, Ethics & Research Governance, Food Sustainability, Food Loss & Waste, Health Promotion.

Research Prizes

• Ulster University Best PhD Thesis Award 2020
• UKRI Global Food Security Policy Lab Award
• Royal DSM Science & Technology Award Winner 2019
• British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) Drummond Early Career Scientist Award 2021
• Postdoctoral Presentation Award, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 2020
• Nutrition Society Irish Section Postgraduate Competition Winner 2018
• Procter & Gamble Travelling Scholarship via Ulster University
• Economic & Social Research Council Workshop Travel Bursary, King’s College London
• The Genetics Society Junior Scientist Travel Grant
• The Nutrition Society (Irish Section); IUNS 21st ICN Travel Bursary
• Safefood Travel Bursary