Several COPT fellows attended Experimental Biology 2016 in San Diego, California from April 2-6, 2016. Each student gave us a recap and reflection on her experience. We will be featuring one student per post as part of this series.
Laural English
COPT fellow Laural English presenting at Experimental Biology 2016
Special Note: Laural’s abstract was selected as a finalist for the Emerging Leaders Award poster competition in the Obesity RIS. Congratulations!
Q: What was the title of your presentation?
A: Orbitofrontal cortex response to food portion size is linked with obesogenic appetitive profile in children
Q: What were the main points of your presentation?
A: Children (7-10 years-old) who had parent-reported faster eating scores and higher emotional overeating scores had greater brain activation to large relative to small food portions in the orbitofrontal cortex. This brain region is believed to have many functions involved in goal-directed behavior, decision-making, and food motivation. These results may partly explain variations in susceptibility to overeating from large portions of high energy-dense foods.
Q: What is something you learned?
A: There were excellent sessions on weight gain prevention as well as career development such as “Negotiation strategies for scientists”. One of my favorite sessions was about post-doc controversy and discussed goals, pitfalls and potential avenues after obtaining your PhD. I learned more about how to harness the skills I’ve gained during my PhD training and what to consider after earning my PhD.
Q: How do you hope your general program of research will contribute to the field of obesity prevention?
A: I hope that my research fosters the development of tailored treatment and prevention strategies for overeating based on patterns of eating behavior. For example, children who have heightened brain responsiveness to large food portions may also tend to eat more in response to emotions and could benefit from strategies that collectively reduce emotional eating and limit large portions of energy-dense foods. Additionally, cognitive training to reduce responsiveness to large portion food cues may also be beneficial.
