Nicole Murray

Public Health Nutrition

Galway City – Dublin Road

Tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to choosing your course? I grew up in a house full of chefs and always participated in helping with the family dinners. In my teens, my older brother trained as a bodybuilder and became a competitor. I was amazed by his constant dietary modifications and the importance of nutrients in physical training. My passion for health and fitness grew and I decided to complete a personal training and gym instructor course. We had a nutritional and food commodities module that I loved. From there, I decided to apply for Public Health Nutrition.

What are your favourite modules on the course? Please let us know why they’re your favourite modules to give prospective students an insight into your course! My favourite module is Global Perspective in Nutrition. I’m interested in the module as it focuses on interesting information based on effective programmes for malnutrition and its effects on health. All relevant to the current nutritional status of developing and transitional countries.

Is there anything else about your course that you particularly enjoy or find beneficial? e.g., work placements, practical projects, etc. I enjoy the opportunities for networking, particularly during our work placement in Australia, where I met many valuable connections. I also enjoy the labs in our food commodities module, as we get to experiment with different variations of ingredients and evaluation practices using sensory analysis. This included practical applications, where we got to make our own functional food product.

What is the best thing about your course that you think new applicants should know? Nutrition is constantly evolving, between dietary modifications and alternatives in diets, particularly shared in social media. More people are paying attention to nutrition for better health, longevity, and performance. A great thing about this course is the increasing opportunity to educate others, influence, or develop innovative food solutions. This course gives you hands-on experience in developing food products, analysing data, and applying nutrition principles in real scenarios!

If you were speaking with a first-year student about to start your course, what advice/information would you give them? I would advise students to stay curious and up to date with current research trends. Being able to have a market and networking space online will open up a lot of career opportunities, credibility, and a personal brand. Get through the fundamentals in the first year, particularly the science-based modules like biochemistry and food science. Try to see how they connect to real-life nutrition. Lastly, as mentioned, nutrition is always evolving, so get comfortable staying updated on new guidelines and questioning what you learn.

If you are/were involved in sport, volunteering, working, or have other passions you pursue outside of your academic life, can you tell us about that (especially mention any teams, clubs, or awards)? I have a passion for bodybuilding and health, and fitness. I was involved in the UK PCA federation and built a large number of contacts around this industry after winning my first competition and placing in my second. As this is a very demanding sport, both physically and mentally, the application of proper nutrition is essential for cognitive performance in college and physical strength in my training

What are your plans after graduating?
My plan after ATU is to proceed with my education with a master’s degree. As nutrition is quite broad, there are several fields I would like to work in. For this reason, I am excited to return to Australia and pursue my career in many different nutritional facilities and continue my master’s. I also wish to proceed with my involvement in being a competitor in bodybuilding and continue networking.
Additionally, my main aim is to establish myself as a credible voice in nutrition through media, blogs, or even public speaking. Becoming a trusted nutrition educator, on social media, academic publishing, or consultancy, may be a strong career choice.