Nicole M. Avena, PhD

About the Author

Nicole M. Avena, PhD, is a pioneering research neuroscientist, author, and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet, and addiction. She’s the author of more than 100 scholarly journal articles, and the first in the field to study sugar addiction in the laboratory. She has written several books on nutrition and diet, including What to Eat When You’re Pregnant and Why Diets Fail. Dr. Avena received her PhD in neuroscience and psychology from Princeton University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in molecular biology at The Rockefeller University in New York City. Dr. Avena has regularly appeared on TV and radio, including The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, Jonathan Van Ness’s Getting Curious, and CNN; and speaks at universities, government agencies, and special interest groups about her research. She’s also a frequent contributor to PsychologyToday.com, MindBodyGreen, and Sharecare. Dr. Avena lives in the greater New York City area.