Our research is aimed at addressing metabolic and satiety hormone responses to different nutrients, diets and/or exercise. We are currently studying the effects of dietary fatty acid composition in meals and diets on postprandial energy expenditure, fuel utilization, and markers of hunger and satiety. We also study how nutrients, diets, and supplements impact health and athletic performance.
Recent Awards
Janette Smith Memorial Scholarship, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2022, M. Catherine Prater
Grace Hartley Scholarship, UGA, 2022, Betsy Cogan
Anne and Earl Haltiwanger Scholarship, UGA, 2022, Alyssa Guadagni
Hazel and Gene Franklin Scholarship, UGA, 2022, M. Catherine Prater
Janette Smith Memorial Scholarship, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Liana Rodrigues
Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA, 2021, Betsy Cogan
Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA, 2021, M. Catherine Prater
Virginia Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA, 2021, Liana Rodrigues
Endsley Peifer Student Research Award, UGA, 2021, Liana Rodrigues
Richard D. Lewis Research Fund, 2020, Sarah Perrine
3rd place - Oral Presentation Competition, Obesity Initiative Research Symposium, 2020, Liana Rodrigues
2nd place - Poster Presentation Competition, Obesity Initiative Research Symposium, 2020, M. Catherine Prater
Tumlin Funding for Conferences, UGA, 2020, Liana Rodrigues
Tumlin Fund Graduate Student Travel Funding, UGA, 2020, M. Catherine Prater
Hazel and Gene Frankin Scholarship, UGA, 2020, Liana Rodrigues
Holly B. Alley Scholarship, Georgia Nutrition Council, 2020, Liana Rodrigues
Leila Alberta Ritchie Mize Endowment, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2020, Betsy Cogan
FACS Fund for Excellence, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2020, Betsy Cogan
CURO Honors Scholars selected for 2020-2021, Madison Wood, Sarah Perrine, Olivia Nicklos, Ashley Thornton, Robyn Salzberg, Sarah Verdery, Kaiyan Li, and Rena Mckenzie
Glenn and Helen Burton Feeding the Hungry Schoarship, UGA, 2019, Liana Rodrigues
Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2019-2020, M. Catherine Prater
Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2019-2020, Betsy Cogan
Wilbanks Kilgore Scholarship, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2018-2019, Alexis Marquardt
Marian Wang Nutrition Scholarship, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2018-2019, Liana Rodrigues
CURO Honors Scholars selected for spring 2018, Laura Triana, Brooke Datelle, and Sohil Patel
CURO Honors Scholars selected for the 2017-2018 academic year, Simon Chang and Allison Rautmann
Ruth Rowan Morrison Scholarship, UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, 2016, Sepideh Kaviani
FACS Ambassadors selected for the 2016-2017 academic year, 2016, Josh Hudson
Selection as the FACS Senator for the UGA Student Government Association, 2016, Josh Hudson
View all Foods and Nutrition Awards
Research Projects
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Cognitive Functioning in Response to a Pecan-Enriched Meal
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Alyssa GuadagniDescription:
Overall Goal: The overall goal behind this proposed research is to determine the relationship between antioxidant-rich pecans and cognitive functioning in a postprandial state.
Study Design: Double-blind, randomized, control trial in humans
Participants: 30 men and women between the ages of 18-30 with normal weight BMI (18.5-24.9 kg/m2).
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, Body Composition, Cognitive Functioning Assessments, Appetite and Satiety Questionnaires, Mood Questionnaires, Sleepiness Questionnaires, Sensory Evaluation of Test Shakes, Polyphenol levels in the blood, Inflammatory markers in the blood, Additional protein and hormone measurements in the blood (such as ghrelin, GLP-1, leptin, CCK, PYY, insulin, glucose, coagulation potential).
Funding:
This Study had no External Funding.
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Examining Factors Leading to Cephalic Phase Response Dampening
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Betsy CoganDescription:
Overall Goal: The overall goal of this study is to examine mechanisms leading to cephalic phase response dampening and subsequent appetite following a mouth rinse containing energy, sweet taste, or energy+sweet taste in normal weight or obese adults.
Study Design: Double-blind, randomized, control trial in humans
Participants: 40 men and women between the ages of 18-45 who are categorized as either normal weight or obese based on body mass index (BMI) or body fat percentage (bf%).
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, taste bud quanitity, taste preference, diet quality and dietary pattern, stress and anxiety, body composition, glucose and insulin responses, appetite and satiety, and sensory evaluation.
Funding:
Owen's Institute for Behavioral Research Seed Grant
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Comparison of Blood Lipid Responses from Diets Enriched with Cottonseed Oil versus Olive Oil in Adults with High Cholesterol (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
M. Catherine PraterDescription:
Overall Goal: The overall goal of this study is to test the impact of a diet rich in CSO against a diet rich in OO to determine if the CSO diet will show greater improvements in blood cholesterol profiles and lipid metabolism in adults with hypercholesterolemia.
Study Design: Single-blind, randomized, control trial in humans
Participants: 64 men and postmenopausal women between the ages of 50-75 with high cholesterol levels
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, body composition, lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, appetite and satiety, sensory evaluation, metabolism, coagulation, and inflammation.
Funding:
National Cottonseed Products Association and Cotton Incorporated
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The Effect of a Pecan-Enriched Diet on Vascular Function
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Betsy CoganDescription:
Overall Goal: The overall goal of this study is to test the impact of daily consumption of pecans versus a nut-free diet on macro- and micro vascular function, blood lipids, antioxidant status, appetite, and cognition in healthy older adults.
Study Design: Randomized control trial in humans
Participants: 44 healthy men and postmenopausal women between the ages of 50-75.
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, body composition, macrovascular function (by flow-mediated dilation using ultrasound technology), microvascular function (by CW-NIRS), lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, appetite and satiety, sensory evaluation, antioxidants.
Funding:
American Pecan Council
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Comparison of Blood Lipid Responses from Diets With and Without Pecans (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Liana RodriguesDescription:
Overall Goal: The overall goal of this study is to test the impact of daily consumption of pecans versus a nut-free diet on blood lipid profiles and lipid metabolism in adults with bigger builds or hypercholesterolemia.
Study Design: Single-blind, randomized, control trial in humans
Participants: 114 men and postmenopausal women between the ages of 30-75 with high cholesterol levels or a BMI greater than 28 kg/m2
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, body composition, lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, appetite and satiety, sensory evaluation, antioxidants, metabolism, and inflammation.
Funding:
Georgia Pecan Commission
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Comparison of Glycemic and Blood Lipid Responses from Meals with Black Walnuts, English Walnuts, and no Walnuts (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Liana RodriguesDescription:
Overall Goal: The purpose of the study is to look at the effects of different types of walnuts in a breakfast muffin on markers of health. Those markers of health include cholesterol profiles, blood sugar responses, and antioxidant levels in the body after different breakfast muffin meals.
Study Design: Double-blinded, randomized, cross-over
Participants: 30 normal weight adults between the ages of 18-45
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, satiety, sensory evaluations and antioxidant levels between the muffins with English walnuts, black walnuts, and no walnuts from fasting to 3 hours post prandial.
Funding:
Hammons Product Company
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Comparison of Glycemic and Blood Lipid Responses from Meals with and without Pecans (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Alexis MarquardtDescription:
Overall Goal: The purpose of this study to test the impact of the traditional high-fat, high sugar breakfast muffin against a pecan-containing muffin to determine if the pecans will mitigate the post-meal increases in glucose, insulin, and lipids, while increasing plasma antioxidant levels and appetite.
Study Design: Double-blind, randomized, control in humans
Participants: 30 normal weight adults between the ages of 18-45
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, satiety, sensory evaluations and antioxidant levels between the muffin without pecans and the muffin with pecans from fasting to 3 hours post prandial.
Funding:
Georgia Pecan Commission
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The Effects of Cephalic Phase Caffeine Mouth-Rinsing on 12Km Time Trial Running in Trained Endurance Athletes (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Kendall FarrDescription:
Overall Goal: The purpose of this study is to determine whether caffeine mouth rinses improve the time to complete a 12.8K run (approximately 1 hour of endurance exercise) more than a placebo mouth rinse. We also will determine whether there is a synergistic effect of a caffeine plus carbohydrate mouth rinse.
Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, crossover design in humans
Participants: 32 normal weight adults between the ages of 18-45 who train in aerobic exercise at least 4 days per week for at least 1 hour per day
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, completion times, satiety and thirst levels, sensory evaluations between the four different mouth rinses
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How do Holidays Affect Health? (PI: Jamie Cooper)
Investigators:
Jamie Cooper
Sepideh KavianiDescription:
Overall Goal: We are interested to investigate how the holiday season (November- January) affects general health status, especially stress and stress-related measures in the body such as your perceived stress level, blood pressure, sleep patterns, body shape/weight, and a number of conceptual perceptions about food.
Study Design: Single-blinded, randomized, control trial in humans
Participants: 300 normal weight, overweight or obese adults between the ages of 18-70
Data Collected: Anthropometrics, lipid profile, glucose and insulin responses, Questionnaires include: Drive for Objective Thinness (DFOT), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Three factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), Power of Food Scale, sleep questionnaire, self-weighing frequency scale and Fat Preference Questionnaire, Mindful eating factors, Stages and processes of change in weight management.
Meet the Staff
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Professor, Director of UGA Obesity Initiative
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