Stress, rhythm, choice and the munchies – tribute to Mary F. Dallman

Abstract

In December 2021, we lost a pioneer in the field of stress research who inspired generations of scientists. Mary Dallman was an expert on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, its interactions with a wide variety of other physiological systems and the impact of chronic changes of HPA function on energy metabolism and adiposity. She was not only an excellent scientist, she was a great role model and mentor for young scientists, especially women. She encouraged and supported many of her trainees even long after they left the lab. Her outside-the-box thinking, the fun and crazy discussions we had in the lab proved to be a beautiful basis for my own future research.

Keywords:

• Comfort food
• restrained stress
• food choice
• diet-induced obesity
• corticosterone
• snacking

Disclosure statement

The author reports there is no competing interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Susanne E. la Fleur

Susanne la Fleur is professor in Neurobiology of Energy Metabolism at the University of Amsterdam and University Medical Centers Amsterdam. Her research group focuses on the interaction between energy metabolism and the brain in the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes, with a special emphasis on the effects of highly palatable nutrients on the brain. Her research bridges basic science and the clinic to translate findings from the rodent obesity model she developed to the human setting, showing how the brain responds to an overload of highly palatable nutrients.