Parimala Sivaperuman has successfully defended her doctoral thesis at South East Technological University (SETU), marking the culmination of a five-year research collaboration between Ireland and Singapore.
She undertook her structured PhD at SETU while based in Singapore, where she works as a dietitian with Olympic athletes.
The project brought together the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland (NRCI) at SETU’s School of Health Sciences and Singapore’s High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI).
"I have come a very long way to achieve this PhD. The journey was certainly not easy, yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every hurdle taught me something vital. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my supervisors, especially to Prof. John Nolan, who played a crucial role in helping me reach this milestone. I would also like to thank SETU and the Howard Foundation for their support throughout this amazing journey."
Exploring the link between nutrition, vision and sporting performance
Parim’s work with Olympic athletes provided the opportunity to explore how nutrition might influence vision and performance in precision sports. Through the SNIPE study, she investigated the effects of supplementation with macular carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids on visual function and sporting performance.
The study has already led to two scientific publications, contributing new evidence on the relationship between nutrition, vision and performance in precision sports.
A doctoral collaboration between Ireland and Singapore
“This is a remarkable achievement for Dr Sivaperuman, the NRCI and the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI) in Singapore. Parim is a wonderful scientist and person, whose care for the athletes she works with is second to none,” said Professor John Nolan, Parim’s lead supervisor and Director of NRCI.
He also highlighted the perseverance involved in undertaking a doctorate across two countries.
“This was a particularly challenging PhD programme, requiring considerable resilience and perseverance to manage a collaboration between NRCI in Ireland and High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI) in Singapore. A good friend reminded me yesterday that the things most worth achieving rarely come easily. Parim’s journey embodies that sentiment, and we are immensely proud of her.”
Professor Marie Claire Van Hout, SETU’s Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact, welcomed the achievement.
“I congratulate Parim on successfully defending her thesis. Completing a structured PhD at SETU while working with athletes in Singapore is a significant achievement. Through this partnership, Parim was able to bring questions from her work in high-performance sport into a doctoral research programme. I thank the teams in Ireland and Singapore who supported her over the past five years.”
Recognising the team behind the research
Reflecting on her doctorate, Parim thanked those who supported her throughout the five-year programme.
“I have come a very long way to achieve this PhD. The journey was certainly not easy, yet I wouldn't trade it for anything. Every hurdle taught me something vital. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my supervisors, especially to Prof. John Nolan, who played a crucial role in helping me reach this milestone. I would also like to thank SETU and the Howard Foundation for their support throughout this amazing journey.”
Parim’s supervisory team comprised Professor John Nolan, Dr Jim Stringham and Dr Richard Swinburne, with Dr Fraser Horn as advisor. Her thesis examiners were Dr Lisa Ryan of Atlantic Technological University and Dr Barry Lambe of SETU. The research was funded by the Howard Foundation UK.
SETU congratulates Parim and thanks the athletes, collaborators and colleagues who contributed to the SNIPE study.