Eating Disorder Research Program

The Eating Disorder Research Program is a part of the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program, a collaboration between the Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Eating disorders are common, serious, brain-based disorders that affect all genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups. They require comprehensive attention to both mental and physical health. Swift and aggressive treatment of eating disorders can result in full remission.

Clinical outcomes for eating disorders were poor until the last decade, when treatment advances and improved mechanistic understandings emerged. Prognoses for youth with these illnesses have dramatically improved with family-based treatment approaches. The Eating Disorder Research Program focuses on improving outcomes of eating disorders in youth. In order to do so, our collaborative team conducts clinical and translational research focused on understanding the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of eating disorders.