Rate My Professor Eric Robinson

Professor Eric Robinson holds the position of Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Liverpool, part of the Institute of Population Health in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. He joined the university in 2013. His research specializations encompass eating behaviour, nutrition, public health, and obesity. Specifically, Robinson investigates the environmental, social, and psychological factors that determine what and how much individuals eat, aiming to target these influences to enhance health. He also explores body weight perceptions, the stigma linked to obesity, and the psychological impacts of obesity on health. Furthermore, his work addresses how the food environment affects diet, health, and body weight, contributing to public health nutrition policy development.

Robinson directs numerous high-profile research projects funded by leading organizations such as the Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Economic and Social Research Council, and European Research Council. Notable grants include 'Tackling Population Level Obesity' (Medical Research Council, 2025–2030), NIHR alcohol calorie labelling study (2023–2026), and ESRC projects on public health policies for out-of-home food sectors (2023–2028) and the psychological basis of obesity (2022–2024). His research group accommodates visiting students, researchers, and scholars. Over his career, he has been honored with several major awards, including the Alan N. Epstein Research Award from the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (2024), SPSP Health Network Early Career Award (2018), Outstanding New Faculty Member Award from the World Obesity Federation (2016), European Association for the Study of Obesity Young Investigator Award (2015), UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Early Career Award (2013), and SSIB New Investigator Award (2010).

Among his key publications are "The problem of large portion sizes: a norm-comparison theory explaining the psychological influence and public health implications of food portion size" (Physiology & Behavior, 2025), "Assessing the impact of a mandatory calorie labelling policy in out-of-home food outlets in England on consumer behaviour: a natural experimental study" (BMC Public Health, 2025), "Psychosocial factors and the development of childhood overweight and obesity: a UK cohort study" (Pediatric Research, 2025), and "The effect of healthier menu item price reductions in the out-of-home food sector on energy purchased and consumed: a restaurant-based pilot experiment" (BMC Public Health, 2025). Robinson teaches advanced research methods and statistics modules and supervises final-year research projects.