Personal profile
Biography
Kirsty graduated from Ulster University with a BSc Hons (first class) Human Nutrition, followed by a PhD in Nutrition. She worked as a Research Associate within the Nutrition team at Ulster on a range of externally funded research projects (2011-2014), before being promoted to Research Fellow in July 2014. Kirsty has been an academic member of staff since 2019 and is currently working as a Senior Lecturer. Kirsty is a Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition.
Kirsty is author on more than 75 peer-reviewed publications investigating various aspects of agri-food nutrition and consumer innovation, food choice, vitamin D and health, and has a strong track record in PhD supervision across these research areas.
In 2014, Kirsty was the inaugural recipient of the Julie Wallace Medal Lecture awarded by the Nutrition Society in recognition of early stage scientific excellence in the field of nutrition. More recently, Kirsty was awarded the Distinguished Researcher Overall Champion (2023) and her team also won the Outstanding Interdisciplinary Research Team Award (2025) at Ulster's Research Excellence Awards.
As well her teaching and research commitments at Ulster, Kirsty is also invovled in the following civic, institutional and professional contributions:
- Coordinator, ‘Digital Engagement, Communications & Impact’ team at NICHE
- Editor-in-Chief, CABI Food Science & Nutrition Cases
- Senior Member, ‘NNEdPro’s Collaborators Network’
- Member, 'Institute of Food Science & Technology'
- Member, ‘European Nutrition Leadership Platform’
- Academic member of Senate at Ulster University
Research Interests
Lead: Agri-Food & Consumer Innovation research, sub-group within the Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health (NICHE).
Other research interests: vitamin D requirements for health; consumer food choice; polyphenols & gut health; nutrition & health in ileostomates; food safety; aquaponics; sustainable food systems.
PhD research: “Indices of body composition as predictors of immune and inflammatory responses: implications for health”.
Teaching Interests
Deputy Head of School of Biomedical Sciences
Module Coordinator: Food Science (NUT303); Food Production, Regulation & Innovation (NUT321); Food & Nutrition Entrepreneurship (BIO385); Food Science & Microbiology (NUT813)
Teaching areas: Food Science; Food Industry; Food Innovation & trends; Food & Nutrition Labelling; New Product Development; Food Sustainability; Research Methods; Nutritional Biochemistry
Other academic responsibilities:
- Research project supervisor and mentor at BSc (Level 6) and MSc (Level 7)
- Academic Committee Member, HKU Space: Food, Nutrition, Dietetics partnership (Ulster-validated provision)
- Experienced Educator (First Steps to Teaching)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Nutrition, Nutrition Innovation Centre for Food and Health
Oct 2007 → Oct 2010
Award Date: 1 Feb 2011
Bachelor, Human Nutrition, School of Biomedical Sciences
Sept 2003 → Jul 2007
Award Date: 1 Jul 2007
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development 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. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land -
SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions -
SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Dietary patterns of university students in the UK: a cross-sectional study
Sprake, E., Russell, J., Cecil, J., Cooper, R., Grabowski, P., Pourshahidi, L. K. & Barker, M., 5 Oct 2018, In: Nutrition Journal. 17, 90, p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile166 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)637 Downloads (Pure) -
Ex vivo fecal fermentation of human ileal fluid collected after raspberry consumption modifies (poly)phenolics and modulates genoprotective effects in colonic epithelial cells
Dobani, S., Latimer, C., McDougall, G., Allwood, J. W., Pereira-Caro, G., Moreno-Rojas, J. M., Ternan, N. G., Pourshahidi, L. K., Lawther, R., Tuohy, K., Del Rio, D., O'Connor, G., Rowland, I., Mazyad Almutairi, T., Crozier, A. & Gill, C. I., 30 Apr 2021, In: Redox Biology. 40, p. 1-11 11 p., 101862.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile27 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)75 Downloads (Pure) -
Vitamin D Biofortification of Pork May Offer a Food-Based Strategy to Increase Vitamin D Intakes in the UK Population
Neill, H. R., Gill, C. I. R., McDonald, E. J., McRoberts, W. C. & Pourshahidi, L. K., 3 Dec 2021, (Published online) In: Frontiers in nutrition. 8, p. 1-12 12 p., 777364.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile12 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)300 Downloads (Pure) -
Improving vitamin D content in pork meat by UVB biofortification
Neill, H. R., Gill, C. I. R., McDonald, E. J., McMurray, R., McRoberts, W. C., Loy, R., White, A., Little, R., Muns, R., Rosbotham, E. J., O'Neill, U., Smyth, S. & Pourshahidi, L. K., 31 May 2023, In: Meat Science. 199, p. 1-10 11 p., 109115.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)180 Downloads (Pure) -
Bioavailability of vitamin D biofortified pork meat: results of an acute human crossover study in healthy adults
Neill, H. R., Gill, C. I. R., McDonald, E. J., McRoberts, W. C., McAleenon, R., Slevin, M. M., Cobice, D., McMurray, R., Loy, R., White, A. & Pourshahidi, L. K., 26 Feb 2023, (Published online) In: International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. 74, 2, p. 279-290 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)138 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Overall Champion, Distinguished Researcher Award
Pourshahidi, K. (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Honorary award
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Enhancing Academic Practice in the Disciplines
Pourshahidi, K. (Recipient), 2014
Prize: Other distinction
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Activities
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Association for Nutrition (AfN) (External organisation)
Pourshahidi, K. (Member)
2023 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of network
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CABI Food Science & Nutrition Cases (Publisher)
Pourshahidi, K. (Editor in chief)
2023 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work
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Profiles
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Addressing GAPS in Stoma Output Monitoring
Davis, J. (PI), Gill, C. (CoI), Simpson, L. (CoI), Mc Creadie, K. (CoI) & Pourshahidi, K. (CoI)
4/08/25 → 3/08/26
Project: Research
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Impact of Streptococcus thermophilus FX856, a live biotherapeutic product, on inflammatory markers and gastrointestinal symptoms in an obese population
Gill, C. (PI), Sittlington, J. (CoI), Pourshahidi, K. (CoI), Dowey, L. R. (CoI), McAnena, L. (CoI) & Price, R. (CoI)
1/08/25 → 31/12/26
Project: Research
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STOMACAP: Reimagining Stoma Management
Davis, J. (PI), Gill, C. (CoI), Simpson, L. (CoI), Mc Creadie, K. (CoI) & Pourshahidi, K. (CoI)
1/07/25 → 30/06/26
Project: Research
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Development of a biomedical sensor platform as a health monitoring tool to improve the quality of life of ostomates
Davis, J. (PI), Gill, C. (CoI), Mc Creadie, K. (CoI) & Pourshahidi, K. (CoI)
1/04/25 → 30/09/28
Project: Research
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Microbiota mediated flavonoid metabolites for cognitive health - Juice+ contribution
Gill, C. (PI) & Pourshahidi, K. (CoI)
1/10/24 → 30/09/29
Project: Research