Robin Kanarek

Robin Beth Kanarek (born April 8, 1946) is an American physiological psychologist and academic administrator specializing on nutrition and behavior. She is a retired professor of psychology from Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, where she held the endowed John Wade Professorship from 2000 to 2019. Kanarek also served in several administrative leadership roles at Tufts, including as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences from 2002 to 2006 and as interim dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy from 2011 to 2014.

Early life and education Kanarek was born on April 8, 1946, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She studied at Antioch College where she served as a National Science Foundation research fellow at the American Museum of Natural History. She received a B.A. in biology in 1968.

Kanarek pursued her graduate studies at Rutgers University. She served a three-year term as the interim dean of the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy from 2011 to 2014.

Research Kanarek's research focused on physiological psychology, the regulation of food intake, and the behavioral neuroscience of nutrition. Her work has investigated the effects of nutritional variables on the development of obesity and diabetes, factors influencing diet selection in humans and animals, and the role of nutrients and physical activity on the consequences of psychoactive drugs. Her research examined the effects of obesity and diabetes on cognitive behavior, the relationship between nutrition and cognition in children and adults, and the role of exercise

Her books include Nutrition and Behavior: New Perspectives (1991), Nutritional Neuroscience (2005), Nutrition and Behavior, A Multidisciplinary Approach (1st ed. 2006, 2nd ed. 2011), and Diet, Brain, Behavior: Practical Implications (2011). She served as a principal investigator on NIH grants beginning in 1978.

Personal life Kanarek married in 1986 and has two sons. She has completed several triathlons. She is a member of a women's triathlon team and has served as an outreach coordinator for AimTriTeam, an organization dedicated to helping women participate in the sport.