Prof. E. Aarts (Esther)

Member - Representative Council DCCN
Principal Investigator - Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging
Principal Investigator - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Professor - Donders Centre for Neuroscience - Neurobiology
Professor - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Professor - Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Professor - Food & Cognition

Contact

esther.aarts@donders.ru.nl
0631132617

Visiting address

Kapittelweg 29
6525 EN NIJMEGEN

Postal address

Postbus 9101
6500 HB NIJMEGEN

Working days

Prof. Dr. Esther Aarts leads the Food & Cognition research group at the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging. The group investigates the neural mechanisms underlying eating behavior and how the foods we consume influence brain function. Their work studies the effects of nutritional, lifestyle, and pharmacological interventions on motivation and cognitive control, focusing on gut–microbiome–brain and immune–brain pathways. Using task-based functional MRI and non-invasive MRI measures of neuroinflammation, the Food & Cognition group aims to better understand the links between diet, obesity, attention, mood, and cognitive decline. Aarts' research is supported by both personal and public–private grants. Through collaborations with societal partners, her work strives to achieve meaningful societal impact. She also actively engages in science communication through radio and TV interviews, podcasts, and popular science books.

Tags: cognitive neuroscience, fMRI, motivation, cognition, food, dopamine, microbiome, obesity

Publications

Key publications

L-K Kaufmann, E Custers, D Vreeken, J Snabel, MC Morrison, R Kleemann, M Wiesmann, EJ Hazebroek, E Aarts*, AJ Kiliaan*. Surgery-induced reduction in inflammation relates to improved neural inhibitory control in obesity. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2025 Oct;129:829-838. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2025.07.012. Full text
N. Kohn, J. Szopinska-Tokov, A. Llera, C. Beckmann, A. Arias Vasquez, E. Aarts (2021). Multivariate associative patterns between the gut microbiota and large-scale brain network connectivity. Gut Microbes 13(1):2006586. Full text
I. Duif, J. Wegman, M. Mars, C. de Graaf, P.A.M. Smeets, E. Aarts (2020). Effects of distraction on taste-related neural processing. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 111(5):950-961. Full text
Papalini S, Michels F, Kohn N, Wegman J, van Hemert S, Roelofs K, Arias-Vasquez A, Aarts E (2018). Stress matters: Randomized controlled trial on the effect of probiotics on neurocognition. Neurobiology of Stress 10: 100141. Full text
Janssen LK, Duif I, van Loon I, Wegman J, de Vries JH, Cools R, Aarts E (2017). Loss of lateral prefrontal cortex control in food-directed attention and goal-directed food choice in obesity. Neuroimage 146: 148–156. Full text

Publication lists

Researcher ID: J-2254-2012

Research grants and prizes

2026 - VICI grant (5 years) by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Title: "The gut-brain axis and human higher cognition: GLP-1's role in controlling eating behaviour" [sole applicant] More information
2019 - Crossover grant (7 years) by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Title: “MOCIA: Maintaining Optimal Cognitive function In Ageing – a personalised lifestyle prevention approach" [public-private, main applicant] More information
2019 - Starting grant (5 years) by the European Research Council (ERC). Title: "The obesity spiral: inflammation and effortless fast food choices" [sole applicant]
2012 - Veni grant (3 years) by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Title: "Breaking the habit: the neural correlates of mindful eating" [sole applicant] More information
2011 - Post-doctoral fellowship (2 years) by the AXA Research Fund. Title: “Food, brain, and distractibility: Goal-directed versus habitual control of food intake" [sole applicant] More information

Projects

Teaching

Media mentions

Ancillary activities

About

Our brain affects what we eat, but what we eat also affects our brain. Aarts studies eating behaviour in relation to the brain. She looks at specific brain functions, but also gut bacteria and the immune system.