Investigating the neurobiology of eating behavior
The neuroscience of obesity
The brain plays an important role in nutritional health, influencing when and how much food is consumed as well as food choices. In addition to regulating eating behavior, the brain plays a key role in regulating physical activity and energy metabolism. The Noble Lab uses rodent models to investigate how and where certain biological factors in the brain interact to influence eating behaviors and body weight regulation. Specifically, we seek to better understand how the brain controls behaviors such as food impulsivity, food motivation, food preference, and food overconsumption, as well as individual variation in energy expenditure and physical activity.
Nutritional influences on brain function
Dietary factors impact the brain and neurocognitive health. Emerging evidence shows that diets high in sugar and saturated fat can negatively impact the hippocampus, a region known for being involved in learning and memory processes and, more recently, eating behaviors. Additionally, it is now well established that exercise increases the plasticity of the hippocampus and enhances hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Our research investigates the peripheral and neurobiological factors mediating the effects of diet and exercise on hippocampal function.
