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.

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. 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. Conlon then joined the faculty of Massey University, rising to full professor in 2023.

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. She also research how kiwifruit could improve iron intake in iron-deficient women, with student Kathryn Beck. She was an invited expert on the technical group advising the Ministry of Health on the maternal and infant dietary guidelines. Conlon also researches infant and toddler nutrition, researching topics such as baby-led weaning and how to increase the acceptance of vegetables. 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.

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

As of 2024, Conlon is vice-president of the Nutrition Society of New Zealand.