Valerie Darcey

Stadtman Investigator @National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases Niddk

Bethesda, MD, US

The brain orchestrates the behaviors that help us towards our goals but sometimes our old habits resurface and get in the way. Just like the other organs in the body though, the brain is impacted by diet, metabolism and body mass index. Can we influence the strength of our habits by changing what we eat?My lab studies the influence of nutrition on the naturally produced chemicals in brain regions that can strengthen or control habits in the human brain. We use neuroimaging techniques including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to measure levels of neurochemicals like dopamine and GABA. To identify the effects of specific nutritional factors (e.g, a single stimulus like a milkshake, or a 5-day exposure to a low-fat diet), we conduct controlled feeding experiments where study participants are admitted to the NIH Clinical Center. This area of research aims to shed light on how someone’s diet might be making it difficult to break a habit standing in the way of better health.