Contacts / Directory

As a cognitive neuroscientist, Alaina is interested in the reciprocal relationship between neurocognitive function and pediatric obesity and neurocognitive influences on food choice and eating behavior.

Cardiovascular nutrition; diet quality as it relates to risk of CVD and diabetes; the role of foods, nutrients, bioactives and dietary patterns in the prevention of CVD and diabetes.

Brooke works in communications and marketing for the College of Health and Human Development, specifically the Nutritional Sciences and Kinesiology departments. This includes contributing to the college’s social media, website, writing, and press coverage.

Satiety and obesity; Influence of food characteristics such as variety, energy density, and portion size on energy intake across the lifespan.

The consequences of over-nutrition and the stress of "western diets" related to lipid mediators and a global shift of dietary fatty acids; identifying markers of disease and better ways to prevent or manage disease.

Macronutrient (dietary fibers)-gut microbiome interaction; microbiome- informed dietary interventions to improve chronic inflammatory diseases; mechanism(s) by which gut microbiota-derived metabolites (and products) alleviate or aggravate metabolic syndrome and IBD.

Central nervous system governs feeding behaviour and importantly, vice versa, the food consumed and the resulting neural and hormonal gut signals affect a broad network of neural circuits and behaviours.

Hassan works in Joshua Gross’s lab, which focuses on the molecular mechanisms underlying food reward and its downstream dysregulation of metabolism, particularly in response to obesogenic Western diets.

Maternal and child health nutrition – focusing on the impact of inflammation and micronutrients on placental health and human milk production.

Behavioral (feeding practices, sleep) and individual factors that impact food intake; Responsive parenting; Clinical and community-based childhood obesity prevention interventions