Robin M. Tucker, Ph.D., RD, FAND, Assistant Professor,
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University
Dr. Tucker joined the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University (MSU) in 2016. Prior to working at MSU, Dr. Tucker worked as a registered dietitian and then earned her doctorate in Nutrition Science with a concentration in Ingestive Behavior from Purdue University under the direction of Rick Mattes.
Dr. Tucker studies the biological and environmental factors that influence how food choices are made and the health consequences of those decisions. Her current research projects focus on how insufficient sleep alters chemosensory perception and affects dietary intake and food selection. Dr. Tucker has authored over 30 publications, several of which have received awards for their high citation rates. Recently, Dr. Tucker received the distinction of becoming a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Global Food Forums Presentations by Speaker
Presentation recorded for the 2020 Sweetener Systems Conference
“Genetics, Sweet Preference, and Short Sleep: Important Players in Food Choice?”
With the increased focus on sugars and sweeteners, sophisticated research has investigated unsuspected factors impacting sweetness perception, food preferences and health. For example, about one-third of adults in developed countries report failing to meet recommended sleep guidelines. A growing body of research links insufficient sleep to increased risk of obesity. How and why sleep increases this risk is a topic of intense research. This presentation highlights several potential mechanisms linking sleep and overeating, including changes in sweet taste preferences for both nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners with subsequent increased susceptibility to food cravings. Results will also be presented on research exploring how sweet liking differs among groups of individuals and how sweet liking predicts consumption of sweet foods and beverages.
