Nicole Avena, PhD
Dr. Nicole Avena is a research psychologist and neuroscientist who is an expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction. She received a PhD in Psychology and Neuroscience from Princeton University in 2006, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Rockefeller University. Dr. Avena presently holds a faculty position at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. She has published over 70 scholarly journal articles on topics related to diet, nutrition and overeating. Her research achievements have been honored by awards from groups including the NY Academy of Sciences, the American Psychological Association, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Dr. Avena’s book, What to Eat When You’re Pregnant, provides a comprehensive guide for women on what nutrients are key during pregnancy, and what foods you can eat to obtain them, to ensure healthy weight gain for you and healthy development for your baby. Dr. Avena’s other book, Why Diets Fail (2014, Ten Speed Press) reviews the research on food addiction and provides a way in which people can remove added sugars and carbohydrates from their diet.
Dr. Avena regularly makes public speaking appearances to discuss her research and discoveries throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. She is regularly asked to speak to special-interest groups, industry groups, and schools. She has appeared on several television news programs, as well as daytime TV shows including The Doctors and The Dr. Oz Show. Dr. Avena’s work has also been featured in many popular print forums, including Shape, Women’s Health, NY Times, Bloomberg Business Week, and Men’s Health. She lives in NJ and is also a mom to two girls, wife, and native of New Jersey. Dr. Avena has a blog on Psychology Today, and you can also follow her on Twitter or Facebook.
To find Dr. Avena online, go to: www.DrNicoleAvena.com, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter.