2024 Graduate Student Research Competition Results
STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETITION
Fourth Annual Obesity Research Initiative Symposium
Awards
Monetary awards will be given to selected participants in Oral Presentation and Poster Presentation categories
Topic Categories
All submissions must be obesity related. Abstracts are accepted in one of four categories:
- Basic Science Research
- Clinical Research
- Social and Behavioral Research
- Community and/or Policy Research
Oral Presentation Winners:
Magen Lord, PhD Candidate, Department of Nutritional Sciences
Presentation: Behavioral mechanisms underlying cannabinoid-induced eating.
Magen Lord is a PhD candidate in Dr. Emily Noble’s Nutritional Neuroscience lab. Her research focuses on how the cannabinoid type-1 receptor in the brain interacts with neurons controlling eating and how activating the receptor affects eating behavior. Her research aims to understand how exogenous cannabinoid administration interacts with our endogenous cannabinoid system to lay the foundation for safe and effective pharmacotherapies targeting this system.
Mary Catherine Prater is a PhD candidate and dietetic intern in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.
Presentation: Cottonseed oil diet enrichment offers protection from angiopoietin-like protein changes compared to olive oil in adults with dyslipidemia.
Mary Catherine Prater is a member of the Human Nutrition Lab and studies with Dr. Jamie Cooper. Her research interests include how fatty acid composition of the diet can influence cardiovascular and metabolic health.
Eden Crain is a Dietetic Intern and Master’s student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.
Presentation: Impact of chronic systemic LPS exposure on anxiety, memory, and neuroinflammation.
Eden Crain is part of the Gastrointestinal Neurophysiology Lab and works under Dr. Claire de La Serre and Dr. Connie Rogers. Her research interests include studying the interactions among the diet, gut microbiome, brain health, and behavior. She plans to become a Registered Dietitian after completing her study.
Student Poster Competition Winners
Mary Lazzaro is a MS/DI student in the department of Nutritional Sciences.
Presentation: Health outcomes and risks of intermittent fasting in adolescence.
Alyssa Guadagni is a PhD/DI student in the department of Nutritional Sciences.
Presentation: Dose-response effects of pecan consumption.
Mary Catherine Prateris a PhD candidate and dietetic intern in the Department of Nutritional Sciences.
Presentation: High PUFA vs. high MUFA diet interventions on blood lipids and additional markers of cardiovascular disease risk: systematic review and meta-analysis.