Catherines research broadly aims to optimise peoples food knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours to support better health and performance. She works across different populations including patients, the aging, students and elite athletes. Catherines varied research interests merge where we consider how environmental factors (built spaces) influence food choices and behaviours for all these different groups. In collaboration with colleagues at UL, Catherine has received programme funding from Food for Health Ireland (FHI, http://www.fhi.ie/) to investigate the efficacy of nutrient supplementation with proteins mined from milk to provide metabolic outcomes which support Healthy Ageing and Performance Nutrition (HAPN). Catherine has also received funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/), Erasmus + (Home | Erasmus+ (europa.eu)), the Irish Research Council (http://research.ie/) and several industry partners including Sport Ireland Institute (http://www.instituteofsport.ie/).

Catherine is a dedicated educator with a Masters degree in Teaching, Learning and; Scholarship. She is the current course director for the Master of Science in Sports Performance, teaching nutrition across team, strength, speed and endurance sports. Catherine also teaches into the BSc Sport and; Exercise Sciences (nutrition, ergogenics and ethics) and to the BSc Physical Education (nutrition for health and performance, supplements in sports performance) undergraduate programmes. Catherine led a team submission from her department which was awarded the Education and; Health Science faculty and institutional award for Excellence in Teaching in 2022.

Registered Dietitian, High Performance Sport and; Exercise Nutrition registrant, Researcher and Lecturer in Sport and; Exercise Nutrition, Dr Catherine Norton works at the University of Limerick, Department of Physical Education and; Sport Sciences. Catherine has over 20 years experience in food and health, across industry, healthcare, professional sport, and academia. Dr Norton is an active member of the Health Research Institute (HRI), Sport and Human Performance Research Centre (SHPRC), UL Cancer Network (ULCaN), and associate member of Physical Activity for Health (PAfH)  and Ageing Research Centre (ARC) clusters.  Catherine is past chair  and current committee member of the Irish Nutrition and; Dietetic Institute (INDI)  Sport and; Exercise Nutrition Interest Group (SENG)  and currently sits on the directorate of the European Sports Nutrition Society (ESNS). She also holds associate membership in the British Dietetic Association (BDA) Sport and; Exercise Nutrition Group (SEN).