Entry Year
2015
Major Area of Study
Neuropsychology
Mentor
Kerri Boutelle, PhD /Â Christina Wierenga, PhD
zomestre@ucsd.edu
Phone
(858) 246-1654
Research Interests
The effects of diet and exercise on brain development, memory and cognitive aging. My research focuses on the effects obesity related phenomenons (e.g., western diet and low physical activity) on brain development, food cue responsiveness, learning and memory, and cognitive aging. My research covers the whole lifespan, from 7-80 years old, to assess how early childhood obesity and diet/exercise can lead to long lasting effects, and whether observed differences can be reversed using lifestyle/behavioral interventions.
Representative Publications
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Mestre, Z. L., Melhorn, S. J., Askren, M. K., Tyagi, V., Gatenby, C., Young, L., Mehta, S., Webb, M. F., Grabowski, T. J., Schur, E. A. (2016). Effects of Anxiety on Caloric Intake and Satiety-Related Brain Activation in Women and Men. Psychosom Med, 78(4), 454-64. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000299
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Mestre, Z. L., Bischoff-Grethe, A., Eichen, D. M, Wierenga, C. E., Strong, D., Boutelle, K. N. (under review in the International Journal of Obesity). Altered brain responses to pleasant tastes and hippocampal atrophy in obese children
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Askren, M. K., McAllister-Day, T. K., Koh, N., Mestre, Z., Dines, J. N., Korman, B. A., Melhorn, S. J., Peterson, D. J., Peverill, M., Qin, X., Rane, S. D., Reilly, M. A., Reiter, M. A., Sambrook. K. A., Woelfer, K. A., Grabowski, T. J., Madhyastha, T. M. (2016). Using Make for Reproducible and Parallel Neuroimaging Workflow and Quality-Assurance. Front Neuroinform, 2(10), 2. doi: 10.3389/fninf.2016.00002. eCollection 2016.
Lab Website
https://healthsciences.ucsd.edu/som/pediatrics/research/centers/chear/Pages/default.aspx
