In
the
immensely
complex
world
of
neuroscience,
one
BW
graduate
is
using
her
own
personal
struggle
with
weight
loss
to
fuel
exceptional
peer-reviewed
research
exploring
the
connections
between
the
brain
and
obesity.
Sarah
Terrill
'13,
who
graduated
from
BW
with
a
bachelor's
degree
in
psychology
and
neuroscience,
is
now
conducting
research
as
a
fifth-year
neuroscience-psychology
graduate
student
at
Florida
State
University
(FSU).
Motivation
and
drive
for
a
difficult
field
Terrill's
struggle
with
overcoming
obesity
has
been
the
driving
force
for
her
work.
As
an
undergraduate
at
BW,
she
lost
over
100
pounds
through
major
lifestyle
and
eating
habit
changes.
Throughout
her
journey,
she
gained
an
extreme
curiosity
for
how
the
mind
works
when
it
comes
to
eating
habits.
"Questions
from
my
own
experiences
drive
my
research
and
keep
me
motivated
to
investigate
these
neurobiological
secrets
underlying
the
obesity
epidemic
that
affects
so
many
individuals,"
Terrill
writes.
At
BW,
where
Terrill
was
a
four-year
letter
winner
on
the
golf
team,
she
earned
induction
into
the
National
College
Athletic
Honor
Society,
Nu
Rho
Psi
Neuroscience
Honor
Society
and
Psi
Chi
Psychology
Honor
Society.
She
also
was
awarded
the
Psi
Chi
Summer
Research
Grant,
which
gave
her
the
opportunity
to
explore
a
variety
of
fields
within
neuroscience.
She
says
that
her
interests
became
more
focused
during
her
senior
year
when
she
used
ingestive
behavior
as
the
basis
of
her
senior
thesis.
The
Ins
and
Outs
of
Terrill's
Work
Obesity
and
its
countless
effects,
including
insulin
resistance,
glucose
intolerance,
diabetes
and
hypertension,
are
now
among
the
leading
causes
of
preventable
death
in
the
United
States.
Terrill's
research,
in
Dr.
Diana
Williams'
laboratory
at
FSU,
explores
how
our
minds
function
when
we
consume
food
and
drink.
To
date,
Terrill
has
co-authored
six
peer-reviewed
journal
articles
within
her
chosen
neuroscience
niche
and
presented
her
research
at
multiple
international
conferences.
The
Society
for
the
Study
of
Ingestive
Behavior
honored
her
with
the
Randall
Sakai
New
Investigator
Travel
Award
in
2017
and
the
Gerard
P.
Smith
Award
in
2018.
"My
dissertation
focuses
on
a
neural
pathway
that
relays
information
from
the
gastrointestinal
tract
to
a
forebrain
area
that
has
traditionally
been
associated
with
functions
such
as
learning,
motivation
and
responses
to
stress,
providing
a
mechanism
for
the
brain
to
integrate
these
factors
when
making
choices
about
what,
when
and
how
much
to
eat,"
Terrill
explains.
Up
next,
Terrill
will
continue
her
research
and
education
as
a
postdoctoral
fellow
at
the
University
of
Southern
California.
Her
ultimate
aspiration
is
to
hold
a
faculty
position
where
she
can
have
her
own
independent
research
program
and
train
future
scientists
at
both
the
undergraduate
and
graduate
level.
