Martin Binks PhD, MBA

Chair and Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies

Contact Information

mbinks@gmu.edu

Biography

Martin Binks, PhD, MBA is professor, and Chair of the department of Nutrition and Food Studies at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA. Dr. Binks has been a metabolic disease scientist & clinician for over 20 years and is an experienced administrative leader in healthcare, business and clinical program development. He has assisted thousands of patients with behavioral pharmacologic and surgical weight loss, health and wellness, and quality of life improvement and has mentored countless early career professionals over his distinguished career.

Dr. Binks received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fairleigh Dickenson University where he specialized in behavioral medicine, neuropsychology, and obesity. He trained at the Bronx VA Medical Center specializing in neuropsychology and post-traumatic stress disorder and completed pre- and post-doctoral training in behavioral medicine and obesity at the Medical University of South Carolina. He received his MBA at Texas Tech University. He was professor, department of Nutritional Sciences, Chair of the Institutional Review Board, and Founding Director of the Nutrition & Metabolic Health Initiative at Texas Tech University. He was also adjunct professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at TTU Health Sciences Center. He is formerly an Assistant Professor at Duke University Medical Center, Division of Medical Psychology. He was Director of Behavioral Health, Research, and New Business and Strategic Alliances at the Duke Diet & Fitness Center. 

Martin has authored many research publications, several book chapters and the book The Duke Diet. His research interests include nutrition, brain health and cognition; 3-D food printing, behavioral pharmacologic and surgical treatment for metabolic diseases; motivating health behavior change & health coaching; and nutritional factors in prostate cancer. He serves as a reviewer on several scientific journals and as an editorial board member for the International Journal of Obesity and Obesity Science & Practice. He was previously Communications Editor for the International Journal of Obesity and served as associate editor of Translational Behavioral Medicine. He is formerly Editor in Chief of Progress in Preventive Medicine. Dr. Binks has an ongoing multimedia presence as an internationally recognized expert.

Dr. Binks is a Fellow of the North American scientific organization The Obesity Society (TOS) and The European Society of Preventative Medicine and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). He has been active in, many leadership positions spanning more than a decade at TOS including Secretary Treasurer and Executive Board Member of Obesity Week™. He has been a contributor to the Treat Obesity Seriously campaign and Obesity Care Week. Martin has been a SCOPE Fellow at The World Obesity Federation and was a longstanding member of Obesity Canada and American Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery (ASMBS). He is a member of the American Society for Nutrition and Society for Behavioral Medicine. He has served on the Military Committee at ASMBS. Martin has also been a contributor with the Army National Guard Decade of Health and Wounded Warriors programs. He has served on numerous advisory boards. He is a recipient of the TOS Atkinson Stern Award for Distinguished Public Service in Obesity.

Degrees

  • BA Psychology, Concordia Univ., Montreal, PQ., Canada
  • MA Clinical Psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ., Teaneck, NJ
  • Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ., Teaneck, NJ
  • APA Internship, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC
  • MBA. Texas Tech Univ., Rawls School of Business. Lubbock, TX
     

Research and Scholarship Interests

  • Nutrition, brain health and cognition
  • 3-D food printing
  • Behavioral pharmacologic and surgical treatment for metabolic diseases
  • Motivating health behavior change & health coaching
  • Nutritional factors in prostate cancer
     

Select Publications

*Chirico Scheele S, Binks M, Christopher G, Maleky F, Egan PF. Printability, texture, and sensory trade-offs for 3D printed potato with added proteins and lipids. Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 351, 2023, 111517, ISSN 0260-8774, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2023.111517. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260877423001152)

*Dhanasekara CS, Dawson JA, Binks M, Childress A, Dhurandhar NV1. Egg and saturated fat containing breakfasts have no acute effect on acute glycemic control in healthy adults: a randomized partial crossover trial. Nutr Diabetes. 2021 Nov 9;11(1):34. https://doi: 10.1038/s41387-021-00176-x PMID: 34753900.

Davis, T., Berthoud, HR. & Binks, M. Minimum reporting guidelines and the role of causal inference in functional neuroimaging for obesity research. Int J Obes 44, 1633–1635 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-020-0607-6

*Chin SH, *Huang WL, *Akter S, Binks M. Obesity and Pain: A Systematic Review. Int J Obes. Int J Obes (Lond). 2019 Dec 17. doi: 10.1038/s41366-019-0505-y. [Epub ahead of print].

*Akter S, Dawson J, *Kahathuduwa CN, *Chin SH, Binks M. Psychological and Weight History Variables as Predictors of Short-term Weight and Body Fat Mass Loss. Ob Sci Pract. 2019;1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.394.

*Kahathuduwa CN, Davis T, O’Boyle M, *Boyd LA, *Chin S, *Paniukov D, Binks M. Effects of 3-week total meal replacement vs. typical food-based diet on human brain functional magnetic resonance imaging food-cue reactivity and functional connectivity in people with obesity. Appetite. 2018 Jan 1;120:431-441. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.09.025. Epub 2017 Sep 25. (IF 2.691, CI 2)

*Kahathuduwa CN, Binks M, Martin CK, Dawson JA. Extended calorie restriction suppresses overall and specific food cravings: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2017 Oct;18(10):1122-1135. doi: 10.1111/obr.12566. Epub 2017 May 30. (IF 7.995, CI 6)

*Kahathuduwa CN, *Boyd LA, Davis T, O'Boyle M, Binks M. Brain regions involved in ingestive behavior and related psychological constructs in people undergoing calorie restriction. Appetite. 2016 Dec 1;107:348-361. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.112. Epub 2016 Aug 24. (IF 2.691, CI 6)
 

Honors and Awards

Professional Memberships and Affiliations