Influence of Psychosocial-Environmental Factors on Obesity and Eating Behaviors: Insights from the Brain-Gut Microbiome Interactions
May 1st, 2025 12:00PM to 1:00 PM PST
MEET THE PANELISTS:
Arpana Church, Phd
Associate Professor
Co-Director, UCLA Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center
Director, Neuroimaging Core
Program Lead: Obesity, Metabolic Disorders and Eating Bhevaiors
Department of Medicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
An accomplished pioneer in medical research focusing on the brain, gut, and microbiome, Dr. Church has a PhD degree in psychology after completing an APA accredited clinical internship at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical Center. Her current research focuses on the interactions between environmental and biological factors in shaping brain-gut microbiome signatures associated with stress-based diseases such as obesity. Broadly defined, this ground- breaking research aims to integrate two systems (the brain and the gut) in order to better understand the underlying mechanisms associated with obesity and altered consumption behaviors. This focus on obesity is key to a deeper understanding of the risk factors for many chronic diseases, and ones that disproportionately affect ethnic minorities and women. Backed by the National Instituted for Health (NIH), Dr. Church’s goal is to develop a comprehensive model that provides a powerful biomarker that will increase diagnostics around obesity in an effort to improve overall health outcomes.
Building on the success of her lab in the area of adversity and obesity, Dr. Church has received major grants from NIH on investigating the brain-gut microbiome interactions associated with obesity. She has also received several industry funded grants as the Principal Investigator in addition to publishing over one hundred peer-reviewed articles, which have been featured in mainstream media outlets such as the Today Show, NBC, WSJ, Science, and WebMD. Additionally, she is featured in a Netflix documentary “Hack your Health: Secrets of the Gut to be Released on April 26th. These various efforts have allowed her to focus on the following main themes of research:
1. The Investigation of how novel pathways related to the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) system
may explain modulation of signals from the gut-microbiome on the brain via systemic immune activation.
2. Explanation of how risk factors associated with socio-cultural and environmental stressors “get under the skin” and are embedded in biology.
3. Identification of subgroup differences (e.g., race and sex) related to obesity.
4. Modeling longitudinal patterns and changes across the lifespan as they relate to obesity in order to help predict risk factors leading up to the development of obesity while being able to identify prognostic markers.
5. Determination of changes associated with various interventions (e.g., brain-targeted such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or gut-based such as specific diets) directed at altered eating behaviors and obesity.
Michelle dexter, Phd
Associate Professor at USC Keck School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences
Michelle Dexter, Ph.D. is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Dr. Dexter is the Director of Curriculum and Academic Programs in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences. She obtained a master’s in Physiology and Biophysics and doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Dexter is a Diplomate of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, Fellow of USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, and trained Mindful Self-Compassion teacher. Dr. Dexter has extensive training and expertise in the areas of clinical interventions, teaching, supervision, and research. Her clinical interests are in the areas of mindfulness-based, empirically-supported treatments for OCD and anxiety disorders. Her teaching has focused in the areas of research, clinical competencies, and the cultivation of resiliency skills for adolescents and young adults. Her research focuses on decreasing mental health disparities and treatment outcomes within college populations. Dr. Dexter is also engaged in faculty development and serves as a co-chair of the department’s Mentoring Program.