Carol L. Cheatham, PhD
Associate Professor, Psychology & Neuroscience
carol_cheatham@unc.edu
704-250-5010
Lab Website
An important member of the UNC Nutrition Research Institute’s research team, Carol L. Cheatham, PhD, 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, MD, PhD, “This is an exciting and promising area of research that is changing the way women eat during pregnancy and lactation.”
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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.
Pregnancy, Drinking and Diet: Consider "Whole Health" When Pregnant
February 18, 2016 • Scientists at the UNC Chapel Hill Nutrition Research Institute are developing a “whole health” message for pregnant mothers emphasizing evidence-based, nutritional research that empowers them to make their own decisions on everything from drinking to dietary choices.
Healthy Brain Function Tied to Nutrition
November 24, 2015 • The research in Dr. Carol L. Cheatham’s Nutrition and Cognition lab focuses on effects of nutrition on brain development and function throughout the lifespan. In her work, she is exploring the importance of certain nutrients and foods to the development, maintenance, and lifelong integrity of the hippocampus and frontal brain areas. Nutrition is integral to fetal and infant brain development, which sets the stage for lifelong learning. At the other end of the spectrum, it is beginning to be evident that nutrition is also important in senescence in that certain nutrients coupled with other healthy lifestyle choices can slow the progression of age-related cognitive decline. Dr. Cheatham has active studies in four age groups; some of that work is summarized here.
Is Life Expectancy a Good Measure of Health?
October 27, 2015 • A recent, global study published in The Lancet (2015; 386, p.743-800) clearly emphasizes the importance of the latter referring to our quality of life. According to the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, worldwide life expectancy at birth rose by 6.2 years between 1990 and 2013. However, these additional years come at a price as healthy life expectancy at birth increased by only 5.4 years over the same 13 year time span.
When Chimps Outperform Humans
From the desk of: Carol L. Cheatham, Ph.D. As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, I’m always interested in learning about studies that will inform my work. Recently, I attended the International Conference on Infant Studies where I heard a scientist speak about...
2023
Cheatham, C.L., Lukowski, A.F., Bauer, P.J. (2023). Infant memory. In John H. Byrne (Ed.), Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference (Second Edition), Academic Press, 2017, Pages 383–402, ISBN 9780128052914, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809324-5.21052-3.
2022
*Camerota, M., *Wylie, A.C., *Goldblum, J., *Wideman, L., Cheatham, C.L., Propper, C.B. (2022) Testing a cascade model linking prenatal inflammation to child executive function. Behav Brain Res. 431:113959. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113959. Epub 2022 Jun 8. PMID: 35690156.
Cheatham, C.L., *Canipe, L.G. III, Millsap, G., Stegall, J.M., Chai, S.C., *Sheppard, K.W., Lila, M.A. (2022). Six-month intervention with wild blueberries improved speed of processing in mild cognitive decline: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Nutr Neurosci.6:1-15. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2022.2117475. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36066009.
Cheatham, C.L., Nieman, D.C., Neilson, A.P., Lila, M.A. (2022). Enhancing the cognitive effects of flavonoids with physical activity : Is there a case for the microbiome? Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.833202
(*Student)
2021
*Canipe III, L. G., *Sioda, M., & Cheatham, C.L. (2021). Diversity of the gut-microbiome related to cognitive behavioral outcomes in healthy older adults. Archives of Gerontology & Geriatrics, 96,104464 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2021.104464
(*Student)
2020
Cheatham, C.L. (2020). Nutrigenetics, Fatty Acids, & Cognition, In Caterina, Martinez, & Kohlmeier (Eds.). Principles of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics: Fundamentals of Individualized Nutrition (pp. 347-354), London, UK: Academic Press.
Cheatham, C.L. (2020). Nutritional factors in fetal and infant brain development. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 75, 20-32. doi: 10.1159/000508052