Author: Hannah Taylor Major: Biology
Hannah Taylor, Biology Major
My name is Hannah Taylor, and I am a senior in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences majoring in Biology and minoring in Medical Humanities. I plan to attend medical school starting in the fall of 2023. I am currently doing research for my honors thesis in the Food Science department. My main role in the research lab is as a phlebotomy technician for Dr. Jamie Baum. I joined this lab in the Spring semester of 2020. As we all know, most things did not go as planned during that term, so we began looking at possible ways to conduct parts of our research virtually and as safely as possible for the community. I began my training in phlebotomy that summer in hopes of enough relief from the pandemic to start research in the fall. Though we were unable to start research as early as planned, we will now be able to conduct our research in person which will be a great advantage to the study.
As a premed student, I have always been interested in science and research, but some of my deepest passions lie in human nutrition. I enjoy cooking healthy meals, growing as much of my own food as possible, and all the benefits of a balanced diet. Since I knew the majority of my time would be spent in biological sciences throughout my schooling as a biology student and on into medical school, I decided to search for a mentor in the food science department. The project I will be doing my thesis on is called “The Effect of Time Restricted Feeding on Regulation of Appetite and Food Preference”. In this study, we will be assessing how time restricted feeding paired with dietary protein affects weight loss and metabolic health. We hope that the addition of protein supplementation to time restricted feeding increases the previously known benefits of time restricted feeding on its own. Protein has been shown to be more satiating than other macronutrients which can lead to a reduction in food intake later in the day. This satiating property is the key to appetite regulation in the study. To assess effects on food preference, we will be using a visual analog scale at the beginning and end of the study.
Although my research is only in the first of multiple semesters, I have become more comfortable in this environment and learned so much about this lab. I have gained valuable experience through the phlebotomy side of my research which will continue to help me throughout my future career as a physician. I have also learned about lab equipment that we will be using to assess body composition, quality of sleep, and tests for things like mood and food preference. I am excited to be able to continue this research into the fall semester and learn more about how time restricted feeding affects not only body composition, but also critical health factors that are a concern for people struggling with obesity. Obesity is on the rise across the United States, with Arkansas being the 6th highest rate of obesity in the nation. We hope that the results of this study will provide a simple lifestyle change that can greatly benefit people’s health.