Professor Susan Carle of the Washington College of Law and AU Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, Dr. Terry Davidson discuss Davidson’s research on the connections between a diet high in saturated fats and sugars, sometimes called the Western diet, and deficits in learning and memory tasks and the regulation of food intake. Dr. Davidson discusses the implication of his findings for understanding obesity and behavioral excess such as drug abuse. Might there be common brain mechanisms at work? How can this research help in finding ways to prevent damage to the brain and blood brain barrier? Dr. Davidson and Professor Carle also discuss the importance and challenges of bridging the science/policy divide.