Leigh Gibson

Leigh Gibson is an Associate Professor in Biopsychology at the University of Roehampton's School of Psychology. He holds roles including President of the Food & Health Forum at the Royal Society of Medicine. His academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Birmingham and postdoctoral work at the Institute of Neurology in London. His research focuses on appetite regulation, food choice mechanisms, and their interactions with stress, health, and emotional well-being. He has contributed to over 90 publications since 1999, with recent work exploring omega-3 fatty acids' effects on mood and brain connectivity, and childhood obesity prevention through interventions like the ToyBox Study in Malaysia.

Education: BSc and PhD in Psychology/Physiology from the University of London and Birmingham. He has held senior research roles at UCL and the Institute of Psychiatry. Teaching includes modules on experimental design, neuroscience, and health psychology at Roehampton, King's College London, and Riga Stradins University.

Research interests span dietary habits, stress physiology, and the neuroscience of eating behavior. Recent projects include the ME, HENRY & TastEd initiative (2022–2023) and evaluations of kindergarten-based obesity prevention programs. His work frequently involves collaborations with industry partners like Abbott Nutrition and the Natural Hydration Council.

Key contributions include developing the Emotional Eating Scale and advancing understanding of comfort eating's psychological underpinnings. He regularly presents at conferences on diet-brain health linkages and public health strategies for mental health.