Dr. Gearhardt WILL NOT be taking clinical science doctoral student applicants for the Fall 2023 application cycle!
In general, applicants who are interested in exploring how mechanisms in addiction contribute to problematic eating behavior in babies, children, teenagers, and adults are the best fit for the FAST lab. Also, applicants who are interested in how the food environment increases risk for overeating are also good candidates.
Examples of current projects:
-Identifying what types of food are most likely to trigger an addictive process.
-Investigating whether adults and kids go through withdrawal when they cut down on junk food.
-Investigating how cue-rich contexts (e.g., simulated fast food restaurant) increase food craving and food intake.
-Assessing how expectancies about consuming different foods increases risk for addictive-like eating.
-Testing whether babies with excessive weight gain are more sensitive to the effects of sugar.
-Evaluating the impact of addiction label on obesity stigma.
-Interviewing individuals with YFAS food addiction about their lived experience.
-Identifying how food marketing activates the brains of teenagers at risk for excessive weight gain.
-Investigating how risky parental substance use is associated with children’s reward-driven eating.
Please note: Although the FAST lab does conduct some research on binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa, eating disorders are not the main focus of the lab. We do assess dietary restraint and shape/weight concern in some our studies, but this is not the main focus of our research.
Click HERE to find out more information about the Clinical Psychology program.
