Robin Tucker, PhD, RD

Dr. Robin Tucker is currently an Assistant Professor of Food Science & Human Nutrition at Michigan State University.

The Ingestive Behavior Lab at MSU, under Dr. Tucker's direction, examines the biological and environmental factors that influence human feeding practices.She is especially interested in how the chemical senses (taste and smell) and sleep influence food intake, physical activity, and body composition.

Robin is a registered dietitian and has a PhD in Nutrition Science from Purdue University, focusing on Concentration-Ingestive Behavior.

• Defining sleep curtailment, restriction and deprivation
• Potential issues with total sleep deprivation and "time in bed" study protocols
• Impact of curtailed sleep on hunger, food cravings, food reward, and portion size selection
• How sleep curtailment may influence sweet taste perception
• Is the relationship between insufficient sleep and excess energy intake driven more by homeostatic factors (leptin, appetite hormones, etc.) or by hedonic factors (food liking, craving, food reward)?

• Yang, Schnepp & Tucker, 2019 - Increased Hunger, Food Cravings, Food Reward, and Portion Size Selection after Sleep Curtailment in Women Without Obesity
• Szczygiel, Cho & Tucker, 2019 - Multiple Dimensions of Sweet Taste Perception Altered after Sleep Curtailment