Florida State University · PsychologyMaternal Nutrition and Brain Development Lab
Linda M Rinaman · Tallahassee, Florida
Research Focus
Dr. Linda M Rinaman's lab at Florida State University focuses on understanding how maternal diet during pregnancy and lactation influences the development of brain circuits in offspring related to food preferences and obesity. The lab investigates how a 'Western Diet' high in fats and sugars alters brain signaling pathways that affect eating behavior and the risk of obesity. The research aims to explore potential interventions that could mitigate these effects in the offspring.
perinatal nutritionWestern dietGLP1 signalingobesityneural circuitsbehavioral outcomesadolescent treatmentfood preferences
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how perinatal exposure to a Western diet affects GLP1 signaling in the brain.
AIM 02Characterize changes in brain structures related to eating behavior in offspring.
AIM 03Examine the persistence of dietary effects into adolescence.
AIM 04Test whether treatment with a GLP1 receptor analogue can reverse early diet-induced changes.
AIM 05Understand the relationship between altered GLP1 signaling and obesity risk in offspring.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsbehavioral assaysfluorescent in situ hybridizationelectrophysiologynutrition assessmentdata analysis in behavioral scienceimmunohistochemistrymolecular biology techniquesexperience with rat modelsexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications175top 41% of dept.119th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations8.7ktop 33% of dept.99th of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.