Sonja Yokum, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Contact
Education & Training
B.A., 1996
Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Pedagogical and Educational Science
M.A., 1999
Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Pedagogy: Family and Behavior
Ph.D., 2006
University of Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands
Psychology and Health
Postdoctoral Fellow, 2006-2008
University of Texas, Austin, TX/Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
Neuroimaging and Obesity
Dr. Yokum’s program of research focuses on the understanding of neural and biological risk- and maintenance factors for obesity, eating disorders, and addictive behaviors. To this end, she has employed a multi-method approach to explore the role of genetic, neurological, and behavioral factors in eating pathology and substance use. She has conducted several high-risk and prospective fMRI studies that have identified several novel risk factors for future onset and increases in disordered eating behaviors, body mass, and substance use. Dr. Yokum has also conducted several randomized eating disorder and obesity treatment trials, some of which involved repeated fMRI scans. The findings from these repeated-scans fMRI studies have identified several mechanisms of effect of these programs and informed the design of more effective prevention and treatment programs for these mental health problems.
Current Projects
A Biopsychobehavioral Investigation of Withdrawal from Ultra-Processed Food in Humans
PROJECT PERIOD09/15/22 - 06/30/27 FUNDING AGENCYNational Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) CURRENT STATUSActive and Recruiting TEAMPrincipal Investigator |
Target Engagement of a Novel Dissonance-Based Treatment for DSM-5 Eating Disorders
PROJECT PERIOD07/10/17 - 07/31/23 FUNDING AGENCYNational Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) CURRENT STATUSActive and Not Recruiting TEAMPrincipal Investigator Co-Investigators |
Translational Neuroscience: Responsivity Training for Obesity Treatment
PROJECT PERIOD04/15/17 - 03/31/23 FUNDING AGENCYNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) CURRENT STATUSActive and Not Recruiting TEAMPrincipal Investigator Co-Investigators |
Food Marketing Vulnerability and Increased Risk for Weight Gain in Adolescents
PROJECT PERIOD05/05/15 - 02/28/18 FUNDING AGENCYNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) CURRENT STATUSCompleted TEAMPrincipal Investigator |
Biological Risk Factors for Onset of Binge Eating and Compensatory Behaviors
Teen Health Study
PROJECT PERIOD08/03/17 - 08/02/21 FUNDING AGENCYInternal ORI funding CURRENT STATUSCompleted TEAMPrincipal Investigator Co-Investigators |
An fMRI Test of the Dynamic Vulnerability Model of Obesity: Risk Factor Plasticity
The Chocolate Study
PROJECT PERIOD05/15/12 - 04/30/18 FUNDING AGENCYNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) CURRENT STATUSCompleted TEAMPrincipal Investigator Co-Investigators |
Response-Inhibition Training for Obesity Treatment
A pilot study
PROJECT PERIOD12/12/14 - 07/13/16 FUNDING AGENCYInternal ORI funding CURRENT STATUSCompleted TEAMPrincipal Investigator Co-Investigators |
Publications
Boman-Davis, Marie, Jiménez, Jessica, & Yokum, Sonja. (2020). Food Insecurity and Likely Psychological Distress: Isolation of BMI and Income among Women in California. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition. 16. 1-14.
Winter, S. R., Yokum, S., Stice, E., Osipowicz, K., & Lowe, M. R. (2017). Elevated reward response to receipt of palatable food predicts future weight variability in healthy-weight adolescents. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.141143
Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Gau, J. M. (2017). Gymnemic acids lozenge reduces short-term consumption of high-sugar food: A placebo controlled experiment. Journal Of Psychopharmacology, 31(11), 1496-1502. doi:10.1177/0269881117728541
Yokum, S., & Stice, E. (2017). Initial body fat gain is related to brain volume changes in adolescents: A repeated-measures voxel-based morphometry study. Obesity (Silver Spring), 25, 401-407. doi: 10.1002/oby.21728
Stice, E., Yokum, S., Veling, H., Kemps, E., & Lawrence, N. S. (2017). Pilot test of a novel food response and attention training treatment for obesity: Brain imaging data suggest actions shape valuation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 94, 60-70. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2017.04.007
Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Hume, D. J. (2017). Reply to DM Thomas and K Westerterp. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 105, 541-541. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.143651
Stice, E., & Yokum, S. (2016). Gain in body fat is associated with increased striatal response to palatable food cues, whereas body fat stability is associated with decreased striatal response. The Journal of Neuroscience: The Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience, 36, 6949-6956. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4365-15.2016
Hume, D. J., Yokum, S., & Stice, E. (2016). Low energy intake plus low energy expenditure (low energy flux), not energy surfeit, predicts future body fat gain. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103, 1389-1396. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.127753
Stice, E., & Yokum, S. (2016). Neural vulnerability factors that increase risk for future weight gain. Psychological Bulletin, 142, 447-471. doi: 10.1037/bul0000044
Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Hume, D. J. (2016). Reply to DA Schoeller. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 104, 1486-1487.
Stice, E., Yokum, S., Burger, K., Rohde, P., Shaw, H., & Gau, J. M. (2015). A pilot randomized trial of a cognitive reappraisal obesity prevention program. Physiology & Behavior, 138, 124-132. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.10.022
Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Waters, A. (2015). Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Program Reduces Reward Region Response to Thin Models; How Actions Shape Valuation. Plos One, 10(12), e0144530. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0144530
Yokum, S., Marti, C. N., Smolen, A., & Stice, E. (2015). Relation of the multilocus genetic composite reflecting high dopamine signaling capacity to future increases in BMI. Appetite, 8 738-45. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2014.12.202
Yokum, S., Marti, C. N., Smolen, A., & Stice, E. (2015). Research report: Relation of the multilocus genetic composite reflecting high dopamine signaling capacity to future increases in BMI. Appetite, 8 738-45. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2014.12.202
Stice, E., Burger, K. S., & Yokum, S. (2015). Reward Region Responsivity Predicts Future Weight Gain and Moderating Effects of the TaqIA Allele. The Journal Of Neuroscience: The Official Journal Of The Society For Neuroscience, 35, 10316-10324. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3607-14.2015
Stice, E., & Yokum, S. (2014). Brain reward region responsivity of adolescents with and without parental substance use disorders. Psychology Of Addictive Behaviors: Journal Of The Society Of Psychologists In Addictive Behaviors, 28(3), 805-815. doi:10.1037/a0034460
Epstein, L., Yokum, S., Feda, D., & Stice, E. 2014). Food reinforcement and parental obesity predict future weight gain in non-obese adolescents. Appetite, 82, 138-142. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.07.018
Gearhardt, A., Yokum, S., Stice, E., Harris, J., & Brownell, K. (2014). Relation of obesity to neural activation in response to food commercials. Social Cognitive And Affective Neuroscience, 9(7), 932-938. doi:10.1093/scan/nst059
Yokum, S., Gearhardt, A., Harris, J., Brownell, K., & Stice, E. (2014). Individual differences in striatum activity to food commercials predict weight gain in adolescents. Obesity (19307381), 22(12), 2544. doi:10.1002/oby.20882
Stice, E., Burger, K., & Yokum, S. (2013). Caloric deprivation increases responsivity of attention and reward brain regions to intake, anticipated intake, and images of palatable foods. Neuroimage, 67322-330. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.028
Yokum, S., & Stice, E. (2013). Cognitive regulation of food craving: effects of three cognitive reappraisal strategies on neural response to palatable foods. International Journal Of Obesity (2005), 37(12), 1565-1570. doi:10.1038/ijo.2013.39
Stice, E., Becker, C., & Yokum, S. (2013). Eating disorder prevention: current evidence-base and future directions. The International Journal Of Eating Disorders, 46(5), 478-485. doi:10.1002/eat.22105
Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Burger, K. (2013). Elevated reward region responsivity predicts future substance use onset but not overweight/obesity onset. Biological Psychiatry, 73(9), 869-876. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.11.019
Stice, E., Burger, K., & Yokum, S. (2013). Relative ability of fat and sugar tastes to activate reward, gustatory, and somatosensory regions. The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition
Stice E, Yokum S, Burger KS, Epstein L, Smolen. (2012). Multilocus Genetic Composite Reflecting Dopamine Signaling Capacity Predicts Reward Circuitry Responsivity. Journal of Neuroscience, 32. 1506-1512.
Yokum, S., Ng, J., & Stice, E. (2012). Relation of regional gray and white matter volumes to current BMI and future increases in BMI: a prospective MRI study. International Journal of Obesity, 36(5), 656–664. doi:10.1038/ijo.2011.175
Ng, J., Stice, E., Yokum, S., & Bohon, C. (2011). An fMRI study of obesity, food reward, and perceived caloric density. Does a low-fat label make food less appealing? Appetite, 57, 65-72.
Yokum, S., Ng, J., & Stice, E. (2011). Attentional bias to food images associated with elevated weight and future weight gain: an fMRI study. Obesity, 19, 1775-1783. PMCID: PMC Journal-In Process.
Stice, E., Yokum, S., Zald, D., & Dagher, A. (2011). Dopamine-based reward circuitry responsivity, genetics, and overeating. Current Topics in Behavioral Neuroscience, 6, 81-93. PMCID: PMC Journal-In Process.
Stice E, Yokum S, Burger KS, Epstein L, Small DM. (2011). Youth at Risk for Obesity Show Greater Activation of Striatal and Somatosensory Regions to Food. The Journal of Neuroscience, 31, 4360-4366.
Batterink, L., Yokum, S., & Stice, E. (2010). Body mass correlates inversely with inhibitory control in response to food among adolescent girls: an fMRI study. Neuroimage, 52, 1696-1703.
Stice, E., Yokum, S., Bohon, C., Marti, N., & Smolen, A. (2010). Reward circuitry responsivity to food predicts future increases in body mass: moderating effects of DRD2 and DRD4. Neuroimage, 50(4), 1618-1625. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.01.081
Bohon, C., Stice, E., & Spoor, S. (2009). Female emotional eaters show abnormalities in consummatory and anticipatory food reward: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42, 210-221. Abstract
Stice, E., Spoor, S., Ng, J., & Zald, D. H. (2009). Relation of obesity to consummatory and anticipatory food reward. Physiology & Behavior, 97 (Proceedings from the 2008 Meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior SSIB 2008), 551-560. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.03.020
Experience
2015-
Research Scientist
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
2012-2015
Associate Scientist
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
2010-2012
Research Associate
Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
2008-2010
Research Associate
Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX
2006-2008
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX
2002-2006
Research/Teaching Assistant
Department of Psychology and Health, Tilburg, The Netherlands
2001-2002
Research/Teaching Assistant
Department of Psychiatry, Rotterdam/Groningen, The Netherlands
1999-2001
Research/Teaching Assistant
Department of Pedagogical and Educational Science, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
1997-1999
Pedagogy: Family Behavior Intern
Department of Pedagogical and Educational Science, Nijmegen, The Netherlands