About

The current food environment and the properties of the foods we have access to have a significant influence on what, when, how, and how much we eat. We study how the nutritive, sensory, and physical properties of food influence choice, consumption, and appetite. 

By understanding the fundamental control of human eating behavior, our research provides insight into how the modern food environment contributes to obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Our research also informs how we can reformulate foods and leverage these properties to reduce overconsumption of energy dense and nutrient poor foods, and encourage consumption of nutrient dense foods that can better support health. 

We conduct controlled experimental feeding studies to investigate:

  • the influence of common food properties on energy intake,
  • the role of sensory and hedonic perception in food choice and consumption, and 
  • how individual characteristics such as oral processing behaviors, eating behavior and personality traits, and cognition and executive functioning influence susceptibility to overconsumption. 

Our research extends across the lifespan from childhood to adulthood, to individuals with altered appetitive responses and nutritional needs, including those with autism and spinal cord injuries. Our work has the potential to inform both basic mechanistic investigation of appetite and metabolism and interventional and translational approaches to improve public health.

Team

Paige Cunningham, Ph.D., is the principal investigator and an assistant professor in the Division of Nutritional Sciences.

Staff

Omama Batool Ghoury, laboratory technician

Graduate students

Iswarya Ramakrishnan, doctoral student

Undergraduate students

  • Cassia Race ’29 (Human Biology, Health and Society)
  • Jen Qian ’29 (Nutritional Sciences)
  • Ali Shiekh ’28 (Human Biology, Health and Society)
  • Ann Jie Teo ’27 (Global and Public Health)
  • Hana Kang ’27 (Nutritional Sciences)
Paige Cunningham smiling at an apple orchard

Publications

View the complete list of published works in my bibliography.

Cunningham, P.M., Hayes, J.E. (2026) Water intake, switching between bites and sips, and drinking behavior are associated with food intake across meals varying in spiciness. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2026.108698

Cunningham, P.M., Meehan, C.T., Keller, K.L., Rolls, B.J. (2025) Sensory-specific satiety and the influence of variety on snack intake in school-aged children. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2026.108451

Farkas, G.J., Cunningham, P.M., Berg, A.S., Jimsheleishvili, G., Mendez, A., Gater, D.R., Nash, M.S., Rolls, B.J. (2025) Gastrointestinal dysmotility and impaired gut peptide-satiety coupling in men with spinal cord injury. Physiology and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115207

Cunningham, P.M., Smith, I.M., Hayes, J.E. (2025) Increasing the spiciness of a lunch meal influences oral processing behaviors and reduces food and energy intake. Food Quality and Preference. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2025.105566  

Neuwald, N.V., Pearce, A.L., Cunningham, P.M., Setzenfand, M.N., Koczwara, L., Rolls, B.J., Keller, K.L. (2025) Food switching at a meal is positively associated with change in adiposity among children at high-familial risk for obesity. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2025.107915

Cunningham, P.M., Roe, L.S., Pearce, A.L., Keller, K.L., Rolls, B.J. (2023) Poorer inhibitory control was related to greater food intake across meals varying in portion size: a randomized crossover trial. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107168

Cunningham, P.M., Roe, L.S., Keller, K.L., Rolls, B.J. (2023) Variety and portion size combine to increase food intake at single-course and multi-course meals. Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107089

Cunningham, P.M., Roe, L.S., Keller, K.L., Hendriks-Hartensveld, A.E.M., Rolls, B.J. (2023) Eating rate and bite size were related to food intake across meals varying in portion size: A randomized crossover trial in adults. Appetite. https://doi.org/1.1016/j.appet.2022.106443 

Cunningham, P.M., Rolls, B.J. The Satiation Framework: Exploring processes that contribute to satiation. (2021) Physiology and Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113419

Cunningham, P.M., Roe, L.S., Hayes, J., Keller, K.L., Hetherington, M., Rolls, B.J. Development and validation of the Reasons Individuals Stop Eating Questionnaire (RISE-Q): A novel tool to characterize satiation. (2021) Appetite. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105127

Contact us

Dr. Paige Cunningham
3109 MVR Hall
607-255-2650
pmc242 [at] cornell.edu (pmc242[at]cornell[dot]edu)