Kyle S. Burger

Kyle S. Burger, PhD, MPH, RD, is a Professor in the Department of Nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. His research focuses on the neuropsychological mechanisms underlying food choice, eating habits, and obesity, employing neuroimaging techniques like fMRI alongside behavioral and physiological measurements. His lab, the Neuropsychology of Ingestive Behavior Laboratory (NIBL), investigates how brain activity and connectivity relate to habit formation, reward systems, and metabolic outcomes.

Education includes a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from Colorado State University/University of Colorado-Denver and an MPH from San Diego State University. Awards include the 2015 Junior Faculty Development Award from UNC and recognition from The Obesity Society.

• Research Interests: Neuroscience of eating, neuroimaging, obesity, diabetes, and pediatric nutrition
• Key Methods: Functional MRI, eye tracking, machine learning, and longitudinal cohort studies

His articles explore neural correlates of food consumption, advertisement effects on BMI, and dietary behaviors in pregnancy and childhood. He teaches advanced courses in nutrition intervention and policy research methods (Nutrition 801–803).

• Labs/Teams: Leads the NIBL and collaborates on NIH-funded studies on obesity and metabolic health.
• Funding: Active grants investigating neural mechanisms of food addiction and pediatric obesity prevention.