Dr. Adise and her team study how weight gain and eating behaviors affect the developing brain of children and adolescents. We are especially interested in understanding why some people gain weight more easily than others and how obesity may influence brain function during childhood and adolescence. 

Research has shown that obesity and overeating can be linked to changes in how the brain works, particularly in areas that help with decision-making and self-control. This means that difficulties in these brain processes might make it harder for some people to make healthy food choices. However, we still do not fully understand how these relationships develop or why they persist. 

To investigate these relationships, our lab uses a variety of tools such as neuroimaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), computational models, cognitive assessments and eating behavior. If you are interested in the field of Nutritional Neuroscience, please feel free to reach out for more information! 

Our work is important because some programs that aim to improve self-control or decision-making have helped people lose weight, but their effects have not lasted long. This may be because we do not yet have a complete picture of how brain development and weight gain are connected. Since obesity is a serious health condition that can also affect thinking and memory later in life, our work focuses on identifying how weight gain impacts brain development, and how early interventions might promote healthier body weight and better brain function.