Principal Investigator
Elizabeth G. Mietlicki-Baase, PhD
Dr. Mietlicki-Baase is an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the University at Buffalo. She received her PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience at the University at Buffalo and completed postdoctoral training in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Her current research focuses on the distributed neural controls of food intake, and she is especially interested in the role of the mesolimbic reward system in energy intake and food preference. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, cycling, and spending time with her family.
Graduate Students
Katie Kern, PhD Student
Katie is a 4th year PhD student in the Nutrition program. After earning her MS in Nutrition from the University at Buffalo in 2019, she joined the Mietlicki-Baase lab and is currently researching the role of amylin receptor agonists in food reward and intake.
Tim Mackey, Masters Student
Tim is currently in the Neuroscience MS program. He received his B.S in Biology with a minor in Neuroscience from the University at Buffalo. He joined the lab as a volunteer after graduation then proceeded to stay once his program started in the fall of 2023. Tim is working on how estrogen chronically and acutely influences VTA amylin receptors on intake of different palatable fluids. In his free time, Tim enjoys catching up on shows, skateboarding, and going to the gym.
Suraj Patel, Masters Student
Suraj is currently in the Biological Sciences MA program. He joined the lab beginning of Fall 2024 and has clinical experience in the field of obesity and weight loss. He plans to go to medical school after graduating from the program. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, learning about exercise science, and exploring hiking trails in the local area.
Research Technician
Darby Murray
Darby is currently working as a research technician in the Mietlicki-Baase lab. She first joined the lab as an undergraduate assistant before switching roles and graduating from the University at Buffalo in 2024 with a BA in Psychology. In her free time, Darby enjoys crocheting, reading, and playing with her cat Chunk (pictured as well).
Student Research Assistants
- Kathryn Trumble
- Caroline Chudnick
- Alex Girolamo
Lab Alumni:
PhD Students
- Adrianne DiBrog
Masters Students
- Avery Hum
- Tara Liwski
- Ashmita Mukherjee
- Houda Nashawi
- Johnathan Przybysz
- Yibo Xie
- Jenna Vecchio
- Andleeb Tanvir
Post-Baccalaureate
- Kiran Kaur
- Priya Kumar
Dietetic Interns
- Brooke Ibarra-Porter
- Katlyn Kelly
- Abigail Williams
- Madison Matheis
- Caroline Kennedy