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Projects

My program of research addresses prevention of and intervention for childhood and adolescent obesity and related disorders. I have primarily focused my research efforts on (a) developing and evaluating behavioral weight control programs for children and adolescents, (b) investigating the psychological and social experiences of overweight and obese youth (e.g., peer victimization; quality of life), (c) assessing the utility of innovative technologies in pediatric obesity prevention and intervention, and (d) examining peer and parental influences on child and adolescent weight control.

CURRENT STUDIES

1. Neural Processes in Emerging Adults with Type I Diabetes: How Do Brain Processes Relate to Disease Management?

Type I diabetes (T1D) is an endocrine disorder that requires significant cognitive and behavioral effort to manage. Emerging adulthood is an especially important developmental window for people with T1D because of the increased independence in all areas of life, especially disease management. T1D is associated with neurocognitive deficits that complicate disease management. Specifically, emerging adults with T1D have been shown to have poorer working memory and executive abilities relative to their peers without T1D. Our study is designed to examine these areas of the brain and neural activity in emerging adults with T1D, specifically the relationships between T1D, memory, executive function, and inhibition.

If you are interested in participating, please click here to see if you are eligible.

2. Stress and Eating Behavior in Emerging Adults

In this study we are examining the connection between stress and inhibition in food choice.