This week the Bulik lab welcomed its summer fellow, Janna Howard, who will be with us for eight weeks helping out with a variety of ongoing research projects.

Janna grew up an hour outside of Philadelphia, near Allentown, Pennsylvania, and just graduated (less than two weeks ago!) from Drexel University with a B.S. in Psychology. At Drexel, she was enrolled in a five-year cooperative education program that included three “co-ops” (or internships) throughout her time there. Although Janna started out as a biomedical engineering major, and completed her first co-op in a biology lab, she soon switched to psychology and spent her second and third co-ops doing lab research related to obesity and eating disorders. These experiences launched her interest in research related to eating behaviors and helped set the stage for her senior thesis, which examined the impact of hedonic hunger and dietary restraint on intake of palatable snacks. Janna is looking forward to getting more hands on research experience related to the biological and neurological aspects of eating disorders and obesity and hopes to apply to graduate school in the near future.

This is Janna’s first visit to North Carolina so, other than her time in the Bulik lab, she is excited about exploring the Triangle and is already working on her “bucket list” of summer activities – the zoo, museums, restaurants, and the beach!

Janna is an avid runner, with two half marathons under her belt, and she recently signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon in November. She also enjoys traveling, reading, and listening to live music.

Welcome, Janna!

By: Susan C. Kleiman