Dissertation Defense: Processing Matters: Neural and Metabolic Responses to Ultraprocessed Foods
Dissertation Defense: Processing Matters: Neural and Metabolic Responses to Ultraprocessed Foods
Zach Hutelin
Graduate Student, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health
Graduate Research Assistant, DiFeliceantonio Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
May 1, 2026, at 1 p.m.
Room G101 A/B, 4 Riverside Circle
About this Dissertation
The modern food environment has undergone a rapid shift toward greater degrees of food processing. Under the Nova classification system, ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are defined as industrially formulated products that undergo multiple physical andchemical transformations and typically contain additives and ingredients not commonly used in household cooking. UPF consumption has been linked to a range of adverse health outcomes, yet UPFs account for the majority of calories consumed in the United States. Although common attributes of UPFs that promote consumption, such as high energy density and macronutrient composition, have been extensively studied, the direct effects of ultraprocessing itself remain comparatively underexamined. To address this gap in knowledge in Chapter 1, Hutelin, mentored by Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, introduces a novel food picture set comprising 28 commonly consumed foods in the United States that differ on degree of processing while still being carefully matched across 26 visual, nutritional, and perceptual properties to enable the controlled investigation of UPF. Additionally, Hutelin derived the Nova classifications for these foods with a strong inter-rater reliability from both non-nutrition-credentialed individuals and credentialed nutrition professionals, directly addressing a noted critique of the Nova system. Next, in Chapter 2, Hutelin demonstrated that UPF and non-UPF meals matched across multiple nutritional factors elicit distinct post-ingestive metabolic profiles, characterized by amplified insulinemic and energetic responses and attenuated carbohydrate oxidation following UPF consumption. These processing-related metabolic differences were associated with differential neural responses within reward circuitry to food cues varying in degree of processing, as assessed using the picture set developed in Chapter 1. Finally, Hutelin showed that degree of processing does not alter behavioral indices of value but does alter neural representation, specifically throughout the striatum and occipitotemporal gyrus. Collectively, this work provides support for the concept that food processing influences physiology and brain function through mechanisms extending beyond calories and macronutrient composition alone, while identifying altered nutritional availability from altered physical structure as a plausible contributor to both their consumption and effects on metabolic health.
More About the Candidate and Project
Education
Virginia Tech, Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Ph.D. Candidate
Brevard College, B.S., Exercise Science
Training
Graduate Research Assistant, DiFeliceantonio Lab, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Mentor
Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Interim Co-director, Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Committee Members
- Brenda M. Davy, Ph.D., RDN, Professor, Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercisie, College of Agriculture and Life Science, Virginia Tech
- Alexandra L. Hanlon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Director, Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Virginia Tech
- Jeffrey S. Stein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Interim Co-director, Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Publications
Hutelin, Z., Ahrens, M., Baugh, M. E., Nartey, N., Herald III, D.L., Hanlon, A. L., & DiFeliceantonio, A. G. (2026). Ultraprocessed foods elicit distinct metabolic and neural responses when compared to non-ultraprocessed foods. medRxiv, 2026.04.10.26350599. DOI: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.10.26350599
Hutelin, Z., Ahrens, M., Baugh, M. E., Oster, M. E., Hanlon, A. L., & DiFeliceantonio, A. G. (2024).
Creation and validation of a NOVA scored picture set to evaluate ultra-processed foods. Appetite, 107358.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107358
Baugh, M. E., Ahrens, M. L., Hutelin, Z., Stylianos, C., Wohlers-Kariesch, E., Oster, M. E., Dotson, J.,
Moon, J., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio, A.G. (2023). Validity and reliability of a new whole room indirect
calorimeter to assess metabolic response to small-calorie loads. PLOS ONE. DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0304030
Montalban, E., Walle, R., Castel, J., Ansoult, A., Hassouna, R., Foppen, E., Fang, X., Hutelin, Z., Mickus, S.,
Perszyk, E.E., Petitbon, A., Berthelet, J., Rodrigues-Lima, F., Cebrian-Serrano, A., Gangarossa, G., Martin,
C., Trifilieff, P., Bosch-Bouju C., Small D.M., & Luquet, S.H. (2023). The addiction-susceptibility
TaqIA/Ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 kinase (ANKK1) controls reward and metabolism
through dopamine receptor type 2 (DR2)-expressing neurons. Biological Psychiatry, 94(5), 424-436. DOI:
10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.010
Perszyk, E.E., Davis, X.S., Djordjevic, J., Jones-Gotman, M., Trinh, J., Hutelin, Z., Veldhuizen, M.G.,
Koban, L., Wager, T.D., Kober, H., Small, D.M. (2023). Decoding of imagined, but not real, odors
determines food cue reactivity. Nature Metabolism, 5(9), 1483-1493. DOI: 10.1038/s42255-023-00874-z
Chen, H. A., Hovens, I., Davis, X.S., Hutelin, Z., Wall, K.M., Small, D.M. (2023) Identification of a novel
link between adiposity and visuospatial perception. Obesity, 31(2), 423-433. DOI: 10.1002/oby.23603
Baugh M.E., Hutelin, Z., DiFeliceantonio A. (2023). Neural correlates of ‘Liking’ and ‘Wanting’ in short-
term eating behaviours and long-term energy balance. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 48, 101227.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101227
Chen, H. A., Hutelin, Z., Moushey, A. M., Diab, N. S., Mehta, S. K., & Corey, B. (2022). Robotic
Cholecystectomies: What are They Good for? –A Retrospective Study-Robotic versus Conventional Cases.
Journal of Surgical Research, 278, 350-355. DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2022.04.074
Perszyk, E.E., Hutelin, Z., Trinh, J., Kanyamibwa, A., Fromm, S., Davis, X.S., ... & Small, D.M. (2021). Fat
and carbohydrate interact to potentiate food reward in healthy weight but not in overweight or obesity.
Nutrients, 13(4), 1203. DOI: 10.3390/nu13041203
Cobb, K.M., Chavez, D. A., Kenyon, J.D., Hutelin, Z., & Webster, M.J. (2021). Acetic Acid
Supplementation: Effect on Resting and Exercise Energy Expenditure and Substrate Utilization.
International Journal of Exercise Science, 14(2), 222. DOI: 10.70252/GUNG6262
Fromm, S., Perszyk, E.E., Kanyamibwa, A., Wall, K.M., Hutelin, Z., Trinh, J., Davis, X.S., Green, B., Flack,
K.D., DiFeliceantonio, A.G., Small, D.M. (2021). Development of MacroPics: A novel food picture set to
dissociate the effects of carbohydrate and fat on eating behaviors. Appetite, 159, 105051. DOI:
10.1016/j.appet.2020.105051
Presentations
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Herald III, D.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio, A.G. Processing
Matters: Neural and Metabolic Responses to Ultra- vs Minimally Processed Foods. Talk accepted
to be given at: The Obesity Society Annual Meeting; 2025 Nov. 4 – 7; Atlanta, Georgia.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Herald III, D.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio, A.G. Contrasting
metabolic and neural responses to ultra- and minimally processed foods. Talk given at: Society for
the Study of Ingestive Behavior 32nd Annual Meeting; 2025 July 28 – Aug 2; Oxford, United Kingdom.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. Contrasting Metabolic and
Neural Responses to Ultra- and Minimally Processed Foods. Talk given at: Fralin Biomedical
Research Institute: Research in Progress Seminar, April 1, 2025.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Herald III, D.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. Differential
Metabolic and Brain Responses to Ultra-processed and Minimally Processed Foods. Talk given at:
Annual Mid-Atlantic Diabetes and Obesity Research Symposium; Sep. 27, 2024; National Institutes of
Health.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio, A.G. Differential Metabolic and
Brain Responses to Ultra-processed and Minimally Processed Foods. Talk given at: Society for the
Study of Ingestive Behavior 31st Annual Meeting; 2024 July 9 – 14; Chicago, Illinois.
Hutelin, Z. Why do We Eat What We Eat? Specific Effects of Ultra-processed Food. Talk given at: Fralin
Biomedical Research Institute: Annual Retreat, June 13, 2024.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. Differential Metabolic and
Brain Responses to Ultra-processed and Minimally Processed Foods. Talk given at: Fralin Biomedical
Research Institute: Research in Progress Seminar, March 19, 2024.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Oster, M.E., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio, A.G. Effects of Food
Processing on Physiology, Brain, and Behavior. Poster presented at: Society for the Study of Ingestive
Behavior 30th Annual Meeting; 2023 July 11 - 15; Portland, Oregon.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. The Impact of Ultra-
processed Foods on Brain, Metabolism, and Behavior. Talk given at: Fralin Biomedical Research
Institute: Research in Progress Seminar, January 31, 2023.
Hutelin, Z., Baugh, M.E., Ahrens, M.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. Web-based Creation and
Validation of a Novel Picture Set Designed to Evaluate Processed Foods. Poster presented at:
Translational Biology Medicine and Health Research Symposium, January 18, 2023.
Hutelin, Z., Oster, M., Dhami, H., Baugh, M.E., West, J.L., Hanlon, A.L., DiFeliceantonio. A.G. Web-
based Creation and Validation of a Novel Picture Set Designed to Evaluate Processed Foods. Poster
presented at: Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior 29th Annual Meeting; 2022 July 12 - 16; Porto,
Portugal.
Hutelin, Z., Perszyk, E.E., Davis, X.S., Graaf, K., Camps, G., Smeets, P., Veldhuizen, M.G., Small. D.M.
The Influence of Sweetness on Carbohydrate Metabolism. Poster presented at: Society for the Study of
Ingestive Behavior 28th Annual Meeting; 2021 July 12 - 15; Virtual Meeting.
- Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), National Science Foundation 2023 - 2026
- Best Graduate Student Oral Presentation at Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) 2025
- Rolls-Simons Travel Award, The Obesity Society 2025
- Speaker at Virginia Tech Ut Prosim Society (Interviewed by University President) 2025
- New Investigator Travel Award (NITA), Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior 2024
- Best Graduate Student Poster Presentation at Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) 2023