An important member of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute’s (NRI) research team, Carol Cheatham, Ph.D. focuses on how nutrition can improve children’s brain function. Specifically, her team studies the importance of nutrients for the development of memory and attention abilities.
Broadly defined, Dr. Cheatham’s research focuses on the relationship between an individual’s genome and the metabolism of nutrients, and how this leads to differences in cognitive and social development. Specifically, she is interested in the development of memory and attention as they are the basis for learning, and therefore school readiness. For example, her research asks if the supplementation of children’s diets with omega-3 fatty acids have an effect on their memory abilities over a determined period of time. Many different methods and tools are used in the Cheatham lab to assess abilities, including taking turns with the children building unique toys and the use of special equipment to read their brain activity while they are watching pictures on a computer screen.
“Dr. Cheatham is an expert on the importance of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) for normal brain development,” said NRI Director Steven Zeisel, M.D., Ph.D. “This is an exciting and promising area of research that is changing the way women eat during pregnancy and lactation.”
A graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, Cheatham earned her Ph.D. in Child Psychology and Neuroscience in 2004. She then specialized in nutrition and pediatric brain development in the Kansas University Medical Center’s Department of Dietetics and Nutrition before joining UNC. She has published research on memory recall in infants born preterm, the role of fatty acids in neonatal brains, and how stress impacts brain development, as well as other topics. Cheatham is the recipient of several honors and awards, most recently receiving the Distinguished Alumna of Northwest College Award and the New Investigator Award from the International Society for Study of Fatty Acids & Lipids. In addition to her position at the NRI, Dr. Cheatham holds an appointment as an assistant professor in UNC’s Department of Psychology.
“I am very excited about the research being conducted at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute because it will advance the field significantly,” Cheatham said. “I look forward to the day when we will look out across a productive, bustling research campus and know that we were successful in our mission.”
For more information about Dr. Cheatham or to schedule an interview, please contact the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, 704-250-5008.
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Cheatham’s Research Team
Daniella Carballo
Research Assistant, Cheatham Lab
Daniella, a graduate from the University of Oregon, holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience with a minor in Psychology. Driven by a profound passion for psychiatric research, she aspires to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Neuroscience. Her goal is to conduct groundbreaking research and educate future generations in higher education, contributing significantly to the field.
Elizabeth Hommel
Social Media Manager, Cheatham Lab
Elizabeth joined the Cheatham team in January 2024 as an intern. Currently a senior at Belmont Abbey College, she is pursuing her BS in Biology, with a minor in chemistry, and is passionate about learning more in the clinical research field. She is also a part of the women’s lacrosse team at Belmont Abbey. In her free time she likes to exercise, read, and spend time with friends and family.
Mandi Rider
Lab Manager, Cheatham Lab
Mandi graduated from Transylvania University in Lexington, KY in May 2023 with a BA in Neuroscience with a Biology Emphasis and a Minor in Sociology. Originally from New Holland, PA, she is excited to be living in warmer weather and to have the opportunity to work in the Cheatham Lab. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, staying in touch with her friends and family, and is learning to crochet.
Publications
- N-3 fatty acids and cognitive and visual acuity development: methodologic and conceptual considerations
- Social dominance in preschool classrooms
- The development of declarative memory in infants born preterm
- Declarative memory in abused and neglected infants
- Fish oil supplementation during lactation: effects on cognition and behavior at 7 years of age
- Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in infancy reduces heart rate and positively affects distribution of attention
- Phosphatidylcholine supplementation in pregnant women consuming moderate-choline diets does not enhance infant cognitive function: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Long-term effects of LCPUFA supplementation on childhood cognitive outcomes
- Omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio and higher-order cognitive functions in 7- to 9-y-olds: a cross-sectional study
- Elicited Imitation Performance at 20 Months Predicts Memory Abilities in School-Age Children
