Shayla Holub

Shayla Holub is an Associate Professor and Department Head of Psychology at the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences within The University of Texas at Dallas. Her research focuses on promoting children’s physical and psychological health through examining parental feeding practices, child body image, and anti-fat bias. She holds a Ph.D. in Psychology (2005) from Bowling Green State University, an M.A. in Psychology (2003) from the same institution, and a B.S. in Experimental Psychology (2000) from Millikin University.

Her research interests include analyzing how parents socialize children’s eating habits via observational, self-report, and experimental methods. Current projects explore autonomy-supportive feeding practices, mealtime family dynamics, and preschoolers’ attitudes toward body size. Key findings emphasize links between parental emotional eating and children’s behaviors, as well as BMI trajectories predicting cardiovascular risks.

Dr. Holub has received notable awards such as the 2010 Excellence in Teaching Award and 2009 Galerstein Honoree. Her work has been supported by grants like the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health (2009–2010) to study preschoolers’ weight and mental health. She actively contributes to professional organizations like the Society for Research in Child Development and serves as a reviewer for journals such as Appetite and Journal of Health Psychology.

Her research is conducted through the Healthy Development Project, which investigates child development and family interactions. She has advised multiple students and collaborates on projects spanning child socialization, obesity prevention, and body image formation.