Nichole Kelly's research interests are in eating behaviors, body image beliefs, weight stigma, and chronic disease risk. She has specific interests in cognitive and emotional mechanisms for eating behaviors associated with poor mental health and increased chronic disease risk.

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Speaker

Nichole Kelly, PhD
Evergreen Associate Professor, College of Education, Counseling Psychology, Family and Human Services, Food Studies, Prevention Science, University of Oregon

Dr. Kelly completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Virginia and her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University. She completed a 3-year postdoctoral research fellowship in a joint position with the National Institutes of Health and the Uniformed Services University. Her research interests are in eating behaviors, body image beliefs, weight stigma, and chronic disease risk. She has specific interests in cognitive and emotional mechanisms for eating behaviors associated with poor mental health and increased chronic disease risk. Her program of research utilizes a diverse array of research methods including experimental paradigms; test meals; dietary recalls; neuropsychological evaluations; ecological momentary assessments; eye-tracking; and actigraphy. She aims to highlight the voices and experiences of those who have traditionally been understudied and underserved in eating, body image, and health related literature, including men, individuals in rural communities, and adults with diverse ethnic, racial, sexual orientation and gender identities. Ultimately, her program of research aims to inform the development and evaluation of culturally-informed theories and interventions for the equitable promotion of health and well-being.

Ongoing research initiatives in Professor Kelly’s lab include:

• 1) Theoretical investigations of young men’s disordered eating symptoms using ecological momentary assessment data
• 2) Evaluating the effectiveness of a brief physical activity manipulation to improve the neurocognitive functioning and eating behaviors of rural children
• 3) Developing a school-based mindfulness intervention for improving rural middle school students’ neurocognitive and emotional functioning
• 4) Evaluating the acceptability and feasibility of a brief body size discrimination workshop delivered in places of employment; and
• 5) Examining risk and protective factors in the health and health behaviors of adults with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.