Jennette Palcic Moreno

Jennette Palcic Moreno, PhD, MA, FSBM is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics-Nutrition at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. She is also a Research Member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and a Member of the Houston-Nutrition Obesity Research Center. Her research focuses on childhood obesity prevention, sleep patterns, and circadian rhythms. She holds a PhD and MA in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University and completed postdoctoral training in pediatric psychology at Baylor College of Medicine.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) - Tulane University (2003)
• Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) - Louisiana State University (2005)
• Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) - Louisiana State University (2009)

Research Interests:

Dr. Moreno investigates the role of sleep, circadian rhythms, and screen media use in childhood obesity. Her work emphasizes seasonal weight gain patterns, particularly during summer, and interventions targeting behavioral and environmental factors. She has pioneered studies using wearable technology to objectively assess sleep, circadian timing, and screen media exposure in children.

Awards:

• Young Investigator Award (2019) - Recognized for contributions to obesity research from the Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine.
• Fellow of the Society of Behavioral Medicine (2023) - Elected for distinguished contributions to behavioral health science.

Grants & Funding:

• NICHD Grant P01HD091396 (2022-2026): Testing screen media timing effects on sleep and executive function in children.
• NHLBI Grant R41HL164294 (2023-2024): Wearable-based sleep analysis for pediatric leukemia patients.
• NICHD Grant R01HD112349 (2023-2028): Disentangling screen light/content effects on sleep and behavior.
• PATHS-UP Seed Fund (2024): Non-invasive circadian biomarker sensor development.

Labs & Teams:

She leads the Moreno Research Lab at Baylor College of Medicine, focusing on translational research in pediatric obesity and sleep health. Collaborations include the Texas Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Nutrition Research Center.