Catherine Conlon lectures in Epidemiology and Public Health at University College Cork. Her keen interest in health gave rise to her book Sonas: Celtic Thoughts on Happiness (2009), which explored the depths beneath the distractions of modern life. A mother of four living in Cork, she cites winning the Young Scientist Award in 1981 as a turning point, making her realise she could do anything if she wanted it enough. She also published a novel, Valentia, about island life off the coast of Kerry.
