Deirdre O'Connor
Deirdre O’Connor was appointed as TILDA's Research Communications Officer in April 2022. She is also a Research Nutritionist and Ph.D. Candidate at TILDA.
Deirdre graduated from University College Cork with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nutritional Sciences (BSc. Hons) in 2010 and was awarded a Masters of Public Health Nutrition (MPH Nutrition) from University College Dublin in 2011 and Postgraduate Certificate in Statistics (PgCert.Stat) from Trinity College, Dublin in 2016.
She commenced her Ph.D. in Nutritional Epidemiology in the Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity College Dublin in September 2017, investigating the interactions of plasma folate and vitamin B12 and implications for cognitive function and brain health using data from TILDA. In Summer 2020, Deirdre published the first study from her Ph.D. work in the British Journal of Nutrition which led to widespread national media converage including coverage in The Irish Independent. This work continues to go from strength to strength and in late August 2020, she was selected as one of eleven applicants to deliver a short talk at the internationally renowned FASEB Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and One-Carbon Metabolism Virtual Conference where she won a Best Short Talk Award for her presentation. The presentation was entitled ‘Do variations of plasma folate concentrations predict cognitive decline among Older Irish Adults at 8-year follow-up? Evidence from TILDA".
Her other research projects and collaborations in TILDA include characterization of the typical diet amongst older adults in Ireland, identification of dietary patterns, malnutrition on older age, dietary determinants of frailty and metabolic syndrome.
Prior to joining TILDA in 2013 as a Research Assistant, Deirdre was a Consultant Technical Executive with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, where she consulted on the Calories in Menus in Ireland Initiative. Deirdre has also worked with the HRB Centre for Primary Care Research, RCSI, and the UCD School of Public Health. Her research interests include nutritional status in older populations, diet quality assessment methods, and the relationship between obesity, chronic disease and dietary patterns.
Deirdre is a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition in the UK, and she is an active member of the Nutrition Society in Ireland.
Awards:
O’Connor D.M.A., Laird EJ, Carey D, O’Halloran AM, Clarke R, Kenny RA, Molloy AM. Plasma concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate and global cognitive function in an older population: cross-sectional findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). British Journal of Nutrition. 2020 Sep;124(6):602-10. British Journal of Nutrition 'Paper of the Year' 2021 (Runner-Up).
‘Low folate predicts accelerated cognitive decline: 8-year follow-up of 3,140 older adults in Ireland.’ FASEB: Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 and One-Carbon Metabolism Conference (2020 Online Conference Oral Presentation). August 2020. Best Short Presentation (Winner).
The Nutrition Society Student Travel Award 11th International Conference on Homocysteine and One Carbon Metabolism at Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark. May 2017. (Winner).
Peer Review Publications
- McCarthy K, Laird E, O’Halloran AM, Fallon P, O’Connor DMA, Ortuño RR, Kenny RA. An examination of the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in older adults in Ireland: Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Plos one. 2022 Sep 14;17(9):e0273948.
- De Looze C, Williamson W, Demnitz N, O’Connor DMA, Hernández B, Kenny RA. Physical function, an adjunct to brain health score for phenotyping cognitive function trajectories in older age: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2022 Jan 29.
- O’Connor DMA, Scarlett S, De Looze C, O’Halloran AM, Laird E, Molloy AM, Clarke R, McGarrigle CA, Kenny RA. Low folate predicts accelerated cognitive decline: 8-year follow-up of 3140 older adults in Ireland. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2022 Jan 13:1-8.
- De Looze C, Williamson W, Demnitz N, O’Connor DMA, Hernández B, Kenny RA. Physical function, an adjunct to brain health score for phenotyping cognitive function trajectories in older age: Findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2022 Jan 29.
- Laird E, O’Halloran AM, Molloy AM, Healy M, Hernandez B, O’Connor DMA, Kenny RA, Briggs R. Low vitamin B12 but not folate is associated with incident depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults: a 4 year longitudinal study. British Journal of Nutrition. 2021 Dec 13:1-22.
- O’Connor DMA, Laird EJ, Carey D, O’Halloran AM, Clarke R, Kenny RA, Molloy AM. Plasma concentrations of vitamin B 12 and folate and global cognitive function in an older population: cross-sectional findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). British Journal of Nutrition. 2020 Sep;124(6):602-10.
- Bardon LA, Streicher M, Corish CA, Clarke M, Power LC, Kenny RA, O’Connor DMA, Laird E, O’Connor EM, Visser M, Volkert D. Predictors of incident malnutrition in older Irish adults from the Irish longitudinal study on ageing cohort—A MaNuEL study. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2020 Jan 20;75(2):249-56.
- Laird, EJ, McNicholas, T, O'Halloran, AM, Healy, M, Molloy, AM, Carey, O'Connor DMA, McCarroll, K, Kenny, RA. Vitamin D Status Is Not Associated With Orthostatic Hypotension in Older Adults. 2019;74(3):639-644.
- Power L, Mullally D, Gibney ER, Clarke M, Visser M, Volkert D, Bardon L, de van der Schueren MAE, Corish CA; MaNuEL Consortium. A review of the validity of malnutrition screening tools used in older adults in community and healthcare settings - A MaNuEL study. Clin Nutr ESPEN. 2018 Apr;24:1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.clnesp.2018.02.005.
- Laird EJ, O’Halloran AM, Carey D, O’Connor DMA, Kenny RA, Molloy AM. Voluntary fortification is ineffective to maintain the vitamin B12 and folate status of older Irish adults: evidence from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). British Journal of Nutrition. 2018 Jul;120(1):111-20.
- Laird E, O’Halloran AM, Carey D, Healy M, O’Connor DMA, Moore P, Shannon T, Molloy AM, Kenny RA. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the determinants of 25 (OH) D concentration in older Irish adults: data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). The Journals of Gerontology: Series A. 2018 Mar 14;73(4):519-25.
TILDA Reports:
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O'Connor, D, Leahy, S, McGarrigle, C. (2017). Consumption Patterns and Adherence to the Food Pyramid. In McGarrigle, C. Donoghue, O. Scarlett, S. Kenny, R.A. . (eds.), Health and wellbeing: active ageing for older adults in Ireland. Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (pp. 76-97).
Published Abstracts:
O'Connor, D, Scarlett, S, Kenny, RA. Dietary Patterns and Associations with Chronic Diseases of Ageing: Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2020;79(OCE2).
O'Connor, D, Laird, E, Carey, D, O'Halloran, A, Kenny, RA, Molloy AM. High folate status is positively associated with cognitive function, irrespective of B12 status. Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.2018;77(OCE3)
O'Connor, D, Laird, E, Carey, D, Kenny, R, Molloy, A. Low Vitamin B12 and High Folate Status-Cause for Concern? Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Age and Ageing.2018; Sep 1;47(suppl_5)
O'Connor, D, Laird, E, O'Halloran, A, Molloy, AM, Kenny, RA. Variations in vitamin B12 and folate balance: implications for cognitive function? Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2017;76(OCE3)
O'Connor, D,Laird, E, Molloy, AM, Kenny, RA. Variations in vitamin B12 and folate concentrations in a population: implications for cognitive function? Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). 11th International Conference On Homocysteine and One-Carbon Metabolism, Conference Proceeding.
O'Connor, DM , Leahy, S, McGarrigle, CA, Kenn,y RA. A comparison of the prevalence of IDF-and ATPIII-defined metabolic syndrome in adults aged 50 and over in Ireland: findings from TILDA. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2016;75(OCE3).
Logue, DM, Kennelly, JP, Keaveney, EM, O'Connor, DM,Bhriain, SN, Flynn, MA. Calorie menu labelling in Ireland: a survey of food service businesses. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2013;72(OCE3) E167.
Kennelly, JP, Logue, DM, Keaveney, EM, O'Connor, DM, Bhriain, SN, Flynn, MA. Calorie menu labelling in Ireland: assessment of quality and accuracy. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2013;72(OCE3).
Conference Presentations:
“Dietary Patterns and Associations with Chronic Diseases of Ageing: Evidence from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).” 13th European Nutrition Conference, FENS 2019, Malnutrition in an Obese World: European Perspectives. Dublin, Ireland - October 2019. [Oral Presentation].
“High folate status is positively associated with cognitive function, irrespective of B12 status. Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).” The Nutrition Society: Irish Section Meeting. Targeted approaches to tackling current nutritional issues. Coleraine, N. Ireland - June 2018. [Oral Presentation].
“Low Vitamin B12 and High Folate Status-Cause for Concern? Findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).” IGS 66th Annual & Scientific Meeting, Sept 2018: Transforming Ageing Across Borders. Cavan, Ireland - September 2018. [Poster Presentation].