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About
Overview
Niamh is Doctoral Student as part of the UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training. Her PhD research focuses on exploring the coherence of UK agriculture and trade policy with dietary guidelines in the UK, and the potential land use and biodiversity impacts of aligning the UK food supply with the dietary guidelines.
Niamh is an Associate Registered Nutritionist, having completed a BSc in Human Nutrition at University College Dublin. She then obtained an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where her research focused on the sustainability of dietary guidelines. Prior to beginning her PhD, Niamh was the Policy Research Officer at the Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, leading the development of policy briefs focusing on food system transformation in low- and middle-income countries, healthy diets in fragile contexts, aquaculture and agricultural subsidy reform.
Qualifications
- MSc Public Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom, 2019 - September 2021
- BSc Human Nutrition, University College Dublin, Ireland, 2013 - September 2017
- Associate Registered Nutritionist, (ANutr)
Employment
- PhD Food Policy, City, University of London, United Kingdom, October 2022 - present
- Member of Youth Compendium Working Group, FAO World Food Forum, Italy, March - August 2022
- Policy Research Officer, Global Panel on Agriculture and Food Systems for Nutrition, United Kingdom, March 2020 - September 2021
- Research Assistant, King's College London, United Kingdom, October 2017 - February 2020
- Research Assistant, National Maternity Hospital Dublin & UCD, Ireland, July 2015 - May 2016
Memberships of committees
- Member, Youth Action Compendium Working Group, FAO World Food Forum, March - August 2022
Publications
Publications by category
Chapter
- Webb, P., Flynn, D.J., Kelly, N.M. and Thomas, S.M. (2023). The Transition Steps Needed to Transform Our Food Systems. Science and Innovations for Food Systems Transformation (pp. 893-907). Springer International Publishing. ISBN 9783031157028.
Conference paper and proceedings
- Kelly, N.M. and Brown, K.A. Sustainability of the Irish dietary guidelines: a pilot study identifying gaps in the guidelines and barriers to improvement. .doi:10.1017/s002966512510089x
Journal articles (8)
- Kelly, N.M., King-Forbes, V., Wells, R., Pearson, R., Parsons, K. and Reynolds, C. (2026). Measuring land use impacts of national dietary guidelines: a scoping review of methods, trade-offs and policy implications. Environmental Research: Food Systems. doi:10.1088/2976-601x/ae7089
- Kelly, N.M., Wells, R., Sharpe, R. and Reynolds, C. (2025). Mismatches between UK food supply and dietary guidelines: a dietary gap assessment. Public Health Nutrition, 28(1). doi:10.1017/s1368980025100633
- Webb, P., Benton, T.G., Beddington, J., Flynn, D., Kelly, N.M. and Thomas, S.M. (2020). The urgency of food system transformation is now irrefutable. Nature Food, 1(10), pp. 584-585. doi:10.1038/s43016-020-00161-0
- Kelly, N.M., Keane, J.V., Gallimore, R.B., Bick, D. and Tribe, R.M. (2020). Neonatal weight loss and gain patterns in caesarean section born infants: integrative systematic review. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 16(2). doi:10.1111/mcn.12914
- O’Sullivan, E.J., Alberdi, G., Scully, H., Kelly, N., Kincaid, R., Murtagh, R.... McAuliffe, F.M. (2019). Antenatal breastfeeding self-efficacy and breastfeeding outcomes among mothers participating in a feasibility breastfeeding-support intervention. Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -), 188(2), pp. 569-578. doi:10.1007/s11845-018-1884-0
- Tribe, R.M., Taylor, P.D., Kelly, N.M., Rees, D., Sandall, J. and Kennedy, H.P. (2018). Parturition and the perinatal period: can mode of delivery impact on the future health of the neonate? The Journal of Physiology, 596(23), pp. 5709-5722. doi:10.1113/jp275429
- Sandall, J., Tribe, R.M., Avery, L., Mola, G., Visser, G.H.A., Homer, C.S.E.... Temmerman, M. (2018). Short-term and long-term effects of caesarean section on the health of women and children. The Lancet, 392(10155), pp. 1349-1357. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)31930-5
- Alberdi, G., O'Sullivan, E.J., Scully, H., Kelly, N., Kincaid, R., Murtagh, R.... McAuliffe, F.M. (2018). A feasibility study of a multidimensional breastfeeding-support intervention in Ireland. Midwifery, 58, pp. 86-92. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2017.12.018
Reports (2)
- Kelly, N. and Nordhagen, S. Mechanisms Supporting Policy Coherence In UK Food Strategies. Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition.
- Kelly, N., Wells, R., Sharpe, R. and Reynolds, C. (2025). Research Brief: Mismatches between UK food supply and dietary guidelines – a dietary gap assessment. London, UK: Transforming UK Food Systems TUKFS Strategic Priority Fund.
Professional activities
Online articles (2)
- WWF Action Magazine: Spring 2024. (2024). WWF Action Magazine Participated in WWF's Eat4Change Youth Summit in 2023 and was featured in their quarterly magazine alongside other UK-based participants.
- Compendium Analysis summary of Youth Manifestos, Statements, and Consultation Outcomes for a Better Food Future 2022. (2022). World Food Forum Youth Compendium