Cath Conlon

Cathryn Anne Conlon is a New Zealand academic, and is a full professor at Massey University, specialising in maternal and early-life nutrition.

Cath Conlon
Conlon in 2008
Born	Cathryn Anne Conlon
Academic background
Alma mater	University of Sheffield
Thesis	The efficacy of the antioxidants α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in preventing lipid peroxidation of parenteral lipid emulsions administered to premature babies (2003)
Academic work
Institutions	Massey University
Doctoral students	Kathryn Beck

Academic career

Conlon completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of London, followed by a Master of Medical Science and a PhD at the University of Sheffield. She first worked as a paediatric nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital before her interest in nutrition in babies led her to move into academia.^[1] Her PhD thesis, completed in 2003, was titled The efficacy of the antioxidants α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in preventing lipid peroxidation of parenteral lipid emulsions administered to premature babies.^[2] Conlon then joined the faculty of Massey University, rising to full professor in 2023.^[3]

Conlon researches nutrition in pregnant women and in early life. Conlon's research has shown that less than a third of pregnant women in New Zealand were getting the recommended amount of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet.^[4] She also research how kiwifruit could improve iron intake in iron-deficient women, with student Kathryn Beck.^[5] She was an invited expert on the technical group advising the Ministry of Health on the maternal and infant dietary guidelines.^[3] Conlon also researches infant and toddler nutrition, researching topics such as baby-led weaning and how to increase the acceptance of vegetables.^[1][6] In 2017, Conlon featured in the TVNZ1 documentary The secret lives of fussy eaters, alongside colleagues Emily Jones, a speech and language therapist, and Reena Soniassy-Unkovich.^[7]

Conlon is an associate investigator at the Riddet Institute, a Centre of Research Excellence based at Massey.^[8]

As of 2024, Conlon is vice-president of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand.^[9]

Selected works

• Welma Stonehouse; Cathryn A. Conlon; John Podd; Stephen R. Hill; Anne M. Minihane; Crystal Haskell; David Kennedy (20 March 2013). "DHA supplementation improved both memory and reaction time in healthy young adults: a randomized controlled trial" (PDF). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 97 (5): 1134–1143. doi:10.3945/AJCN.112.053371. ISSN 0002-9165. PMID 23515006. Wikidata Q48117600.
• Jane Coad; Cathryn Conlon (1 November 2011). "Iron deficiency in women: assessment, causes and consequences". Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care. 14 (6): 625–634. doi:10.1097/MCO.0B013E32834BE6FD. ISSN 1363-1950. PMID 21934611. Wikidata Q37936183.
• Kathryn Beck; Cathryn A Conlon; Rozanne Kruger; Jane Coad (19 September 2014). "Dietary determinants of and possible solutions to iron deficiency for young women living in industrialized countries: a review". Nutrients. 6 (9): 3747–3776. doi:10.3390/NU6093747. ISSN 2072-6643. PMC 4179187. PMID 25244367. Wikidata Q34263556.
• Hajar Mazahery; Carlos A. Camargo; Cathryn Conlon; Kathryn Beck; Marlena C Kruger; Pamela R von Hurst (21 April 2016). "Vitamin D and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review". Nutrients. 8 (4): 236. doi:10.3390/NU8040236. ISSN 2072-6643. PMC 4848704. PMID 27110819. Wikidata Q26750537.
• Jamie de Seymour; Airu Chia; Marjorelee Colega; et al. (20 September 2016). "Maternal Dietary Patterns and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Cohort: The GUSTO Study". Nutrients. 8 (9). doi:10.3390/NU8090574. ISSN 2072-6643. PMC 5037559. PMID 27657116. Wikidata Q37285910.