Prof. Mary Ward

Mary Ward is a registered dietitian and a Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at Ulster University where she has been involved in teaching and mentoring undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students for over 25 years. She leads a busy research group focused on micronutrient research, in particular B-vitamins and their role in disease prevention from early life through to older age; underpinning mechanisms linking B-vitamins with health outcomes, especially cardiovascular disease,  and the role of personalised nutrition in optimising health. She is also very interested in the health impacts of transitioning to healthy diets from sustainable sources and co-leads the Nutrition and Health platform on a large multi-stakeholder Centre aimed at developing a robust sustainable food system across the Island of Ireland over the next 6 years (2024-30). Mary has published widely in her discipline. She sits on the Scientific Committee of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and is a member of the Life and Health Sciences Committee of the Royal Irish Academy. She served as President of the Nutrition Society in the UK and Ireland from 2023-26.