Professor Suzanne Higgs

Professor Suzanne Higgs

School of Psychology
Professor in the Psychobiology of Appetite
Head of the School of Psychology

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 121 41 44907
Email
s.higgs.1@bham.ac.uk
Address
The School of Psychology
University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Professor Higgs is a researcher interested in the psychology of eating and the underlying biology.

Qualifications

BA, MA (Oxon) PhD (Durham)

Biography

Prof. Suzanne Higgs has a degree in Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology (PPP) from The University of Oxford and a PhD in Psychology from Durham University. She worked as a Post-Doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford before moving to the University Â鶹¾«Ñ¡ in 1999.

Teaching

Suzanne teaches a level 1 module entitled 'Introduction to Psychobiology: from ion channels to behaviour'.

Postgraduate supervision

Current postgraduate students:

  • Madhronica Sardjoe Effects of exercise on Appetite and Cognition. Joint PhD with Maastricht University.
  • Elizabeth Schneider Interactions between cognitive and metabolic and reward processes in appetite control 2017-2020
  • Elizabeth Martin BBSRC MIBTP /P1vital funded 4 year CASE studentship ADHD and eating behaviours 2017-2020

Prospective students are always welcome to get in touch.

Research

Research Interests

Her research is focused on the psychology of eating and the biological mechanisms that underpin the decisions about what and how much we eat. She is particularly interested in the cognitive processes involved in appetite and how social context influences food choice and food intake. 

Other activities

  • President of the Danone Institute International 
  • Awarded the Hoebel research prize from the Society for the Sudy of Ingestive Behavior 2019
  • Editor in Chief, Appetite; 2011 - 2022
  • Scientific Advisory Board member for the Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation – Centre for Taste and Feeding Behaviour, Dijon, France
  • Jean D’Alembert Fellowship, l'Université Paris Saclay 2017-2018
  • President of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour (2015-16)
  • Jury member 2018 Danone International Prize for Alimentation

Publications

Highlight publications

Schneider, E, Spetter, MS, Martin, E, Sapey, E, Yip, KP, Manolopoulos, KN, Tahrani, AA, Thomas, JM, Lee, M, Hallschmid, M, Rotshtein, P, Dourish, CT & Higgs, S 2022, '', International Journal of Obesity, vol. 46, no. 7, pp. 1319-1327.

Long, EV, Vartanian, LR, Faasse, K & Higgs, S 2022, '', Appetite, vol. 175, 106053.

Schneider, E, Martin, E, Rotshtein, P, Qureshi, KL, Chamberlain, SR, Spetter, MS, Dourish, CT & Higgs, S 2022, '', Translational Psychiatry, vol. 12, no. 1, 9, pp. 8.

Parent, MB, Higgs, S, Cheke, LG & Kanoski, SE 2021, '', Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews, vol. 132, pp. 110-129.

Higgs, S & Thomas, J 2016, '', Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, vol. 9, pp. 1-6.

Recent publications

Article

Anjom-Shoae, J, Hajishafiee, M, Fitzgerald, PCE, Coleman, R, Martin, AM, Poppitt, SD, Lee, M, Higgs, S, Rehfeld, JF, Holst, JJ, Veedfald, S, Horowitz, M & Feinle-Bisset, C 2025, '', The American journal of clinical nutrition.

Birdi, GK, Wong, G, Upthegrove, R, Higgs, S, Walsh, A, Ahern, A, Allen, K, Howe, J, Habib, H, Nixon, K, Oduola, S & Maidment, I 2024, '', Inquiry : The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, vol. 61.

Edwards, KL, Thomas, JM, Higgs, S & Blissett, J 2024, '', Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 1252369.

Sardjoe, M, Aldred, S, Adam, T, Plasqui, G, Brunstrom, JM, Dourish, CT & Higgs, S 2024, '', Appetite, vol. 200, 107499.

Higgs, S, Aarts, K, Adan, RAH, Buitelaar, JK, Cirulli, F, Cryan, JF, Dickson, SL, Korosi, A, van der Beek, EM & Dye, L 2024, '', Nutrition Reviews.

Edwards, KL, Thomas, JM, Higgs, S & Blissett, J 2024, '', Eating Behaviors, vol. 53, 101872.

Nolan, LJ & Higgs, S 2024, '', Appetite, vol. 195, 107229.

Martin, E, Dourish, CT & Higgs, S 2023, '', Physiology and Behavior.

Higgs, S 2023, '', Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences, vol. 378, no. 1885, 20220208.

Hammami, A, Garcia, A, Darcel, N, Higgs, S & Davidenko, O 2023, '', Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 1081700.

Çoker, EN, Pechey, R, Frie, K, Jebb, SA, Stewart, C, Higgs, S & Cook, B 2022, '', Appetite, vol. 169, 105824.

Satherley, R-M, Lerigo, F, Higgs, S & Howard, R 2022, '', British Journal of Health Psychology, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 1026-1042.

Letter

H Heald, A, Shakespeare, M, Phillipson, A, Cade, J, Netter, P & Higgs, S 2023, '', Cardiovascular endocrinology & metabolism, vol. 12, no. 1, e0274.

Review article

Schneider, E, Leigh, SJ, Lynch, CMK, Hilbert, A, Clarke, G, Higgs, S & Cryan, JF 2024, '', Neuroscience Applied, vol. 3, 104088.

French, DP, Ahern, AL, Greaves, CJ, Hawkes, RE, Higgs, S, Pechey, R & Sniehotta, FF 2023, '', Diabetic Medicine.

Expertise

The influence of cognitive processes such as learning and memory on eating behaviour