Susan Franks

Susan Franks, PhD, is an Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, part of the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Her research focuses on biological and psychological mediators of appetite regulation, obesity, and their interface with conditions like Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Notable areas include ghrelin and cortisol's role in eating behavior, neurobehavioral aspects of stress and addiction, and interventions for obesity prevention.

She holds a PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of North Texas, an MS in Psychology from the same institution, and a BS in Medical Technology from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Research Projects

• Principal Investigator: Stomp for Life! (Coca-Cola Foundation, 2010-2011)
• Co-Investigator in 5 other projects including diabetes prevention in Mexican American adolescents and obesity-related inflammation studies.

Awards & Recognition

No specific awards mentioned, though her work has been cited over 399 times with an h-index of 11.

Grants & Advising

• Secured funding from organizations like the American Academy of Family Physicians and Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
• Focus on community-oriented primary care and translational research linking basic science to clinical practice.

Labs/Teams

Involved in multidisciplinary teams studying metabolic disorders, bariatric surgery outcomes, and culturally tailored interventions for minority populations.