Kathleen Keller, professor and Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences, has been awarded the Hoebel Prize for Creativity by the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior, an organization dedicated to studying ingestive behavior and its biological, physiological, and social processes.
Each year, the society recognizes three society members whose careers have made significant contributions to the field of ingestive behavior.
Keller, who is also a Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member, has been recognized for her creative and innovative approach to her research, taking known theories and methods and applying them in different ways to discover new information about children’s eating behaviors.
“I was very humbled. There have been many great scientists who I look up to who have won this award in the past, including my colleague Barbara Rolls,” Keller said. “It meant a great deal to me to be considered in the same conversation with these inspirational and creative scientists in my field.”
Keller’s research examines various influences on children’s eating behaviors, including the neural mechanisms of taste preference, the effects of food marketing on childhood obesity and genetic influences on taste preference. She has been a prolific scientist, helping to author more than 115 papers over the course of her career.
Since 2012, Keller has been the director of the Children’s Eating Behavior Laboratory where she and her team investigate various aspects of children's eating behavior, including how eating behaviors develop and how they are related to risk for obesity later in life.
Fellow faculty member Barbara Rolls, professor and Helen A. Guthrie Chair of Nutritional Sciences and previous Hoebel Award winner, described Keller’s impact on both the field and the Department of Nutritional Sciences.
“Kathleen has created an internationally recognized research program aimed at understanding individual differences in childhood risk and resilience to pediatric obesity,” Rolls said. “She is always supportive and eager to brainstorm new ideas, which has culminated in numerous collaborations across Penn State and other institutions.”
Another colleague who recognized Keller’s creativity in her research and contributions to the field is Travis Masterson, assistant professor of nutritional sciences. In addition to sharing his appreciation for Keller’s unique perspectives on eating behavior, Masterson also noted that she is a mentor and colleague who never hesitates to support other’s ideas and helps them explore topics that provide additional insights to the field.
Keller credits her success in her career not only to her own hard work but also to those she has collaborated with at Penn State and the resources made available to her through the department and University.
“It feels like the many years of hard work I put in early in my career are finally paying off,” Keller said. “Being awarded a career-level prize for scientific creativity is a wonderful culmination to several decades of work in the science of ingestive behavior. The resources for studying eating behavior and the brain are top notch at Penn State and the scholars and students I've met have made a huge impact on my scientific career.”
The Hoebel Prize for Creativity award was presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior’s annual meeting on Tuesday, July 9, in Chicago, Illinois. Keller also presented “Creativity is a team effort: How transdisciplinary science can enhance understanding of ingestive behavior” in addition to receiving her award. This conference gathers multidisciplinary experts to share the newest research related to the field of ingestive behavior.