Kate Peters

Dr. Kate Peters is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex, where she leads research on neurobiological mechanisms underlying food motivation and environmental influences on reward systems. She holds an honorary role at the University of Aberdeen's School of Medicine and has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Maryland and University of Sussex. Her research focuses on dopamine, endocannabinoid systems, and prefrontal cortex dynamics, particularly during adolescence and under conditions of environmental enrichment. Peters earned her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Leicester (2014–2018), followed by BSc in Psychology with Cognitive Neuroscience from the same institution (2011–2014).

Her work investigates how brain regions like the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex process reward cues and how these systems are modulated by cannabinoids, protein restriction, and distraction. Key themes include addiction vulnerability, developmental neurobiology, and translational strategies to reduce food cue responsiveness. Peters' current Leverhulme-funded project explores environmental enrichment's role in dampening food incentive salience via mesolimbic mechanisms.

Publications span neural correlates of distraction during consumption, cannabinoid effects on reward pathways, and age-related differences in dopamine signaling. Awards include the prestigious Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship (2023–2026), supporting her research into food-seeking behaviors. She contributes to professional activities such as MRC grant panel membership and teaches courses like 'Manipulating Minds' at Sussex. Peters' interdisciplinary approach bridges neuropharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, and clinical applications in mental health.