The Global Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. Mary's work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
About Mary
My role is to lead the development and implementation of research within the Dietetic Team, and support research within the School and Faculty, by coordinating and undertaking research activity, encouraging collaborative working, securing research funding and building the Faculty’s reputation internationally.
I am the Deputy Director of the SW Clinical Schools. This is an initiative to partner with our colleagues in health and social care organisations in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. I work to lead the Clinical Schools to ensure a consistent and coordinated approach and to build on local successful initiatives, and work closely with the leadership at the five regional Clinical Schools to increase research capacity and capability. More information can be found here http://https//www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/clinical-schools
I am also the Deputy Director for the Doctoral College leading developments for our postgraduate research students within three schools in the Faculty of Health (School of Health Professions, School of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Psychology). I work closely with Natasha Hill, who covers the other three schools (Peninsula Medical School, Peninsula Dental School, School of Biomedical Sciences).
Supervised Research Degrees
PhD students supervised:
Gemma Philips - Exploring factors affecting the implementation of blended diets for enteral tube feeding for children and young people (0-25 years) in health, education and social care settings in the UK: A realist approach. Started 2024
Zoe Simpson - Ketogenic Diet Quality of Life and Functioning Outcomes: Developing and Piloting a Proxy-Reported Measurement Tool for Children with Epilepsy. Started 2024
Jacqueline Bennion - Does in-bed cycling delivered within 48 hours of mechanical ventilation, reduce the occurrence of delirium in critically ill patients and what is the optimal approach to implementing the intervention? Started 2023
Xiatian Fan - Mining Routinely Collected Electronic Health Records to Identify Effective Dietetic Factors for Optimal Care in General Practice. Started 2023
Isabel Ortiz - Malnutrition and nutritional care in Care Homes in Gibraltar. Started 2023
Hannah Gardiner - Exploring the impact of community food researcher model for food system transformation. Started 2022
Lisa Du Toit - The relationship between the oral microbiome and cardiovascular health. Awarded 2025
Alex Pinto - Factors affecting metabolism and metabolic control in phenylketonuria. Awarded 2025
Jennifer Carroll - A mixed methods study to establish core outcomes for refactory childhood epilpsy treated with ketogenic diet therapy. Awarded 2023
Craig Clarke - The effect of diet and physical activity on the oral nutrate/nitrite pathway and its impact on vascular control. Awarded 2025
Julia Eisenblaetter - Dietary counselling of children with food allergy. Awarded 2022
Louise Mole - Improving nutritional care for people living at home with Dementia. Awarded 2021
Anna Julian – Improving nutritional care at the interface between acute and community healthcare. Awarded 2019
Ann Ashworth – Effects of dietary nitrate from vegetables on blood pressure in healthy humans: Awarded 2019
Nurhafzan Anis Ismail – The role of glycaemic index in preventing obesity. Awarded 2014
Liesl Wandrag – An investigation into inflammatory and nutritional markers during critical illness to identify an indicator of anabolism and to explore a method of attenuating muscle mass loss.Awarded 2013
Margaret Coffey – An examination of the clinical utility of fiber-optic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing as an evaluation tool in laryngectomy and an investigation of the effect of different voice prostheses on swallow, voice function and quality of life after laryngectomy. Awarded 2013
Norlida Mat Daud – The effects of propionate on appetite and gut hormones. Awarded 2013
Charlotte Moss – Comparison of gut hormones in healthy older and young adults. Awarded 2013
Lina Johansson – Broadening Options for Long-term Dialysis in the Elderly. Awarded 2012
Elena Philippou – Dietary carbohydrate manipulation and its effect on coronary heart disease risk factors and body weight maintenance. Awarded 2008
Teaching
My teaching activities are to support the undergraduate and masters dietetic degree programmes, particularly the project development module, project supervision, as well as delivering lectures in the field of nutrition, dietetics and ageing.
I also support the Masters programs within the School through supervision of project work and teaching research skills and knowledge.
I teach on the Frailty Module (ADV758/608).
