Nicole M. Avena, PhD

NICOLE M. AVENA, PhD, is the mother of two daughters; a research neuroscientist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City; an expert in the fields of nutrition, diet, and addiction; and the author of What to Eat When You’re Pregnant and coauthor of Why Diets Fail. She received a PhD in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City. Her research has been featured in Shape, Men’s Health, Glamour, Details, Women’s Health, Prevention, National Geographic, Time Magazine for Kids, and many others and she regularly appears on television, including The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, the Hallmark Channel, and Good Day NY. She makes public speaking appearances throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. Dr. Avena has written extensively on topics related to food, addiction, obesity, and eating disorders, and she writes the Food Junkie blog for Psychology Today and also blogs for Huffington Post.