2020-2024 Postdoc, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL

• Ingestive and taste-guided behavior as they relate to energy balance and the regulation of food choices and nutrient intake

2020 PhD, University of Georgia Department of Nutritional Sciences, Athens, GA

• Interactions between the gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis, particularly as they influence the development of obesity

2015-2020 Dietetic Internship, University of Georgia

2015 BSFSC University of Georgia Department of Nutritional Sciences, Athens, GA

• Major: Dietetics
• Minor: Biochemistry

Ingestive and taste-guided behavior and the regulation of food choices and nutrient intake, both in the brad sends and related to energy balance and the treatment of obesity.

The Cawthon lab is focused on understanding the physiological drivers promoting food choices and regulation of food intake particularly as these relate to the gustatory system and the treatment of obesity. We use sophisticated behavioral approaches to monitor food choices and eating patterns over extended periods in addition to taste acuity and other taste-guided responses. The overarching objectives of our research are to learn how the gustatory system and food choices drive ingestive behavior, and how these factors interact with pharmacological approaches to treat obesity allowing identification of specific behavioral aspects that current anti-obesity drugs fail to address and pointing to specific target pathways that can improve treatment outcomes.