B.S. Psychology, Neuroscience Indiana University 2007
M.S. Clinical Psychology IUPUI 2009
Ph.D. Clinical Psychology IUPUI 2013
Postdoctoral Research in Medical Neuropsychology Kent State University 2015

Grants, Awards, and Honors

• NIH/NIDDK - K23DK103941 Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study (The COSMOS Trial (Role: PI)
• NIH/NIGMS - P20GM109097 Neurotrophic Indicators of Cognition, Executive Skills, Plasticity, and Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (NICE SPACES) (Role: Research Project Leader)
• NIH/NIGMS - U54GM104938 - Pilot of Weight Reduction in Under-represented Populations (POWER-UP Trial) (Role: PI of Pilot Project)
• NIH/NHLBI - F31 HL152620 Acute Inflammatory Effects of Weight Stigma in Overweight/Obesity (Role: Primary Mentor/Sponsor)
• NIH/NIA - R36 AG072342 - Differential Impact of ACEs and Aging on Brain Health (Role: Primary Mentor)
• Recipient and Ambassador of the NIH Loan Repayment Program – National Institutes of Health
• Scholar of the 2018 Health Disparities Research Institute – National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• Fellow of the 2015 NIH Summer Institute on Randomized Behavioral Clinical Trials – National Institutes of Health
• Scholar of the 2014 Young Investigator Colloquium – American Psychosomatic Society

Scholarly Interest

Dr. Hawkins is a clinical health psychologist and behavioral medicine researcher on a mission to understand the relationships between cognitive factors (e.g., executive function), emotional factors (e.g. depression), chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease) and health behaviors (e.g., eating, exercise) -- as they exist in and are impacted by larger socioeconomic contexts.

She was the recipient of a K23 Career Development Award from NIDDK to examine cognitive factors related to behavioral weight loss interventions and was a Research Project Leader on a project examining neurotrophic factors related to early life adversity and obesity funded by the NIGMS. She has a thriving partnership with Cherokee Nation (Talequah, OK) to examine behavioral weight loss interventions in Indigenous populations and completed a funded pilot of acceptance-based weight loss therapy in collaboration with the Oklahoma Shared Clinical and Translational Research center.

Dr. Hawkins has a commitment to mentoring trainees from under-represented and disadvantaged background (she is a first generation college student herself) and has helped her mentees secure NIH funding for their dissertation work (e.g., R36 from NIA, F31 from NHLBI).

Google Scholar Profile »

Hawkins, M.A.W., Gunstad, J., Dolanksy, M., Redle, J.D., Josephson, R., Moore, S.M., & Hughes, J.W. (2014) Greater body mass index is associated with poorer cognitive functioning in male heart failure patients. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 20, 199-206.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Alosco, M.L., Spitznagel, M.B., Strain, G., Devlin M., Cohen, R., Crosby, R.D., Mitchell,

J.E., & Gunstad, J. (2015). Reduced inflammation is not associated with cognitive gains after bariatric surgery. Psychosomatic Medicine: Special Issue 'Diabetes, Obesity, and the Brain,' _77, 688-696.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Gunstad, J., Calvo, D., & Spitznagel, MB (2016). Higher fasting glucose is associated

with poorer cognition among healthy young adults. Health Psychology, 35, 199-202.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Colaizzi, J., Gunstad, J., Hughes, J.W., Mullins, L.L. Betts, N., Smith, C.E., Keirns, N.G.,

Vohs, K.D., Moore, S.M., Forman, E., Lovallo, W.R. (2018). Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study (COSMOS): Study protocol for a randomized controlled weight loss trial examining change in biomarkers, cognition, and self-regulation across two behavioral treatments. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 66, 20-27.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Keirns, N.G., & Helms, Z. (2018). Cognitive function and carbohydrates. Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care, 21, 302-307.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Ciciolla, L., Colaizzi, J., Keirns, N.G., Smith, C.E., Stout, M.E., Addante, S.M., Armans, M., & Erato, G. (2020). Adverse childhood experiences and cognitive function among adults with excess adiposity. Obesity Science & Practice, 1-10.

Gunstad, J. Sanborn, V. & Hawkins, M.A.W (2020). Cognitive dysfunction as a risk factor for overeating behaviors and obesity. American Psychologist, 75, 219-234.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Colaizzi, J.M., Cole, A.B., Keirns, N.G., Smith, C.E., Stout, M.E., Chaney, J., Sawhney, M., & Gahn, D. (2021). Pilot trial of acceptance-based behavioral weight loss and neurocognition among American Indians. Behavior Therapy, 52, 350-364.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Layman, H., Ganson, K.T., Tabler, J., Ciciolla, L., Tsotsoros, C., Nagata, J. (2021).

Adverse childhood events and cognitive function among young adults: Prospective results from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 115, 105008.

Hawkins, M.A.W., Keirns, N.G., Baraldi, A., Layman, H., Smith, C.E., Stout, M.E., Gunstad, J., Hildebrand, D., Vohs, K.D. & Lovallo, W.R. (2021). Baseline associations between biomarkers, neurocognitive function, and self-regulation indices in the Cognitive and Self-regulatory Mechanisms of Obesity Study (COSMOS). Obesity Science and Practice, 1-13.