Eating Disorders Clinical
and Research Program
Update
Winter 2014/2015
Teen Mentor Program
Drs. Thomas and Eddy
Letter from the Directors
The year of 2014 has been an exciting time at the
Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program
(EDCRP) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) –
filled with research developments, clinical growth,
talented trainees, and groundbreaking education
initiatives. Our team has been awarded funding from the
National Institutes of Health in support of innovative
research to advance understanding of the biological
mechanisms of eating and feeding disorders. We have
increased the program’s treatment offerings to include
a full spectrum of outpatient options serving individuals,
groups, and families. More importantly, we’ve provided
consultation and treatment to more than 150 patients,
supported in part by our new comprehensive online
assessment tool. We are delighted to share some of the
highlights of this work during the past year with you!
Kamryn T. Eddy, PhD and Jennifer J. Thomas, PhD
The Teen Mentor Program, established in 2010, offers
adolescent girls the opportunity to promote positive
self-image and become peer leaders in their own
communities. Over the course of the 2013-2014 school
year, our teen mentors participated in the evidencebased Body Project eating disorder prevention program,
and also spearheaded their own original mentorship
projects. One such teen-led initiative, the “Blackboard
Project,” invited a candid discussion about where body
ideals come from (see photo below). Culminating their
mentorship, the teens
presented their work at
the EDCRP’s Summer
2014 Event at the MGH
Paul S. Russell Museum
to celebrate the Teen
Mentor Program and
Summer Research
Fellowship. We are
excited to continue this
program during the
2013-2014 Teen Mentors:
2014-2015 school
from left, Sophie Taibl, Dr. Emily Gray,
year under Dr. Gray’s
Sarah Dahl
dedicated leadership. 
We are now accepting nominations for the 2015-2016
mentorship program. To nominate a teen, please e-mail
Dr. Emily Gray at [email protected].
Eating Disorders Clinical
and Research Program
Update
Newest Members of Our Team
We are pleased to welcome Laurie Manzo and Chris Mancuso to the EDCRP! Laurie and Chris have proven to
be wonderful assets to our team and we are looking forward to our continued work with them.
Laurie D. Manzo, MEd, RD, LDN
Laurie Manzo joined the EDCRP team as a staff dietitian in January 2014. Laurie has been at
MGH for nine years working with pediatric and adult patients with a variety of nutritional issues. She specializes in nutrition care for patients with disordered eating. Laurie’s goals include
helping patients get in touch with hunger and satiety cues to better nourish
their bodies.
Christopher J. Mancuso, BA
This year, we have also welcomed a new clinical research coordinator, Chris Mancuso, to our
team. Chris coordinates the “Brain Study,” in conjunction with the MGH Neuroendocrine
Unit and Pediatrics Department. His research interests include biological predictors of
eating disorder trajectories. 
Recovery Record
In 2013, the EDCRP became one of the first
clinics nationwide to adopt Recovery Record,
a mobile eating disorder treatment “app,” to
support our cognitive behavioral program. With
an integrative and interactive platform, the app
provides both group and individual therapy
patients with critical between-session tools. To
learn more about Recovery Record, which is free
for patients, visit recoveryrecord.com.
meaningful steps toward recovery, and equip
treating clinicians with the data and tools they
need to do their best work.”
Dr. Jenna Tregarthen shared with us why she
founded Recovery Record and some pro tips for
using the app:
Pro tip number one: customize reminder
times, messages, and tones in the “Settings”
section of your app. This takes less than a
minute and will set you up for success!
“I care deeply about unlocking access to
evidence-based care for every person who needs
and wants it. This passion was ignited by seeing
my sister’s daily struggles with the ups and downs
of recovery, and a desire to “be there” for her in
these moments that matter. A mobile app can
be a proactive expression of empathy, providing
the right support at the right time. By bringing
evidence-based treatment components together
with a gold-class user experience, Recovery
Record aims to empower people to take
People sometimes have a “love-hate” relationship
with Recovery Record reminder alarms. These
serve as a powerful nudge to help routinize
regular eating, but default times may be out of
sync with your routine, making them bothersome.
Although it is ideal to make entries as
close to meal times as possible, there are
a whole range of reasons that life can
sometimes get in the way. You need not
give up if this happens! Pro tip number two: you can backlog meals
for up to three days, allowing you to catch-up
on missed entries and get back on track in
no time. Research Collaborators
Andrea S. Hartmann, PhD
Dr. Hartmann, now an assistant
professor at the Universität
Osnabrück in Germany, continues
her international research
collaboration with the EDCRP.
This work has involved a field
trial of DSM-5 eating disorder diagnoses, yielding
four publications this year. In collaboration with Drs.
Thomas and Eddy, Dr. Hartmann is interested in
investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of a
subgroup of patients with anorexia nervosa who deny
fear of fatness.
Franziska Plessow, PhD
Dr. Plessow is a Neurology
research fellow at Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center and
Harvard Medical School and
a research collaborator on the
“Brain Study.” Her focus is on
the the complex functions that
regulate impulses, habits, intentional behavior, and
personal autonomy. Dr. Plessow contributes to this
work by investigating the role of cognitive control in
the longitudinal trajectories of eating disorders, and
determining whether competencies and weaknesses in
cognitive control may be targets for novel prevention
and early-stage treatment strategies.
Jason R. Yee, PhD
Dr. Yee is a principal research
scientist in the Center for
Translational Neuroimaging
at Northeastern University,
and is a research collaborator
with the EDCRP and the MGH
Neuroendocrine Unit. His lab is using prairie voles
to develop an activity-based model of anorexia (ABA)
in a rodent with a monogamous social system and
human-like autonomic function. This research, which
identifies hallmark features of anorexia nervosa (e.g.,
habitual food avoidance and excessive exercise) in
prairie voles, suggests that such features may be a
consequence, rather than a cause, of starvation.
Nassim Tabri, PhD
Dr. Tabri recently completed a
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
in the EDCRP at Massachusetts
General Hospital/Harvard
Medical School. His research at
the EDCRP involved examining
the role of overvaluation of body shape/weight in
the transdiagnostic CBT model of eating disorders,
assessing the long-term weight outcomes of people with
eating disorders, and conducting a meta-analysis of the
relationship between therapeutic alliance and outcome
in eating disorders. Dr. Tabri is currently a Postdoctoral
Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology at
Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and he continues
to collaborate on research with the EDCRP.
Charumathi Baskaran, MD
Dr. Baskaran is a pediatric
endocrinologist at Massachusetts
General Hospital and a research
collaborator on the Brain Study.
She completed her research
fellowship at Joslin Diabetes
Center exploring obesity and body composition
in children with Type 1 Diabetes and her research
interests include eating disorders, obesity, exercise,
and appetite regulation.
Katherine A. Koh, MD
Dr. Koh is a first-year psychiatry
resident in the MGH/McLean
Hospital residency program. She
graduated from Harvard Medical
School in the spring of 2014 and
took the opportunity to work
with the EDRCP on a paper about the prevalence of
eating disorders in individuals with obesity. Using data
from the EDCRP’s DSM-5 field trial, Dr. Koh found
that adding binge eating disorder as a new psychiatric
diagnosis did not significantly increase the overall
prevalence of eating disorders among individuals
with obesity. 
Eating Disorders Clinical
and Research Program
New Research
Announcements!
We are delighted to announce that the
EDCRP, in conjunction with the MGH
Neuroendocrine Unit, received a grant
from the National Institute of Mental
Health, supporting a longitudinal
research project investigating hunger,
satiety, and reward in adolescent and
young adult females with low-weight
eating disorders. Under the direction
of Drs. Kamryn Eddy, Madhusmita
Misra, and Elizabeth Lawson, the “Brain
Study” uses cross-disciplinary techniques
including functional brain imaging and
measurement of hormone secretion to
examine appetite regulation and brain
circuitry to better understand eating
disorder symptoms and change over
time. This important research has the
potential to help us refine and develop
new treatments for these complex
illnesses. We want to extend our thanks
to all of the patients and families who
have participated so far!
Members of the Brain Study Team
In addition, Emily Gray, MD, received
a grant from the American Academy
of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
to support her research on social
cognition in these adolescents. Dr.
Gray’s grant will support an in-depth
examination of social anxiety and
emotion processing in low-weight
eating disorders.
Update
2014 Summer Research Fellowship
We established an annual Summer
Research Fellowship in 1997 to promote
the academic development of earlycareer clinical scientists. Over the past 18
years with the support of the Rubenstein
Foundation and Matina S. Horner, PhD,
our program has sponsored 53 undergraduate
and graduate students for independent
research projects. This year, the EDCRP
From left, Lisa Anderson,
had the pleasure of supporting 3 talented
Cindy Schmelkin, Suzanne
Straeble and Dr. Matina Horner
young research fellows. As a testament
to their hard work, all three will be giving
talks related to their summer projects at the 2015 International
Conference on Eating Disorders in Boston!
Lisa Anderson, BA
Lisa, a third year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology
program at the University at Albany, State University of New York,
completed her Master’s thesis during the fellowship. She examined
the relative contributions of fear and disgust to eating disorder
symptomatology in order to inform future exposure interventions.
Cindy Schmelkin, BS
Cindy is a second year medical student at Harvard Medical
School. In conjunction with both the EDCRP and the MGH
Neuroendocrine Unit, she studied the effects of oxytocin
dysregulation and weight recovery on social cognition in women
with anorexia nervosa (AN).
Suzanne Straebler, BA, MSN
Suzanne is final year doctoral student in Psychiatry at The
University of Oxford (UK). As part of a larger program of work
being carried out by the Centre for Research on Dissemination at
Oxford, her EDCRP project aimed to develop and evaluate scalable
methods for improving the dissemination and implementation of
evidence based treatments, especially cognitive behavioral therapy
for eating disorders.
The EDCRP is now accepting applications for the 2015 Summer
Research Fellowship! Applications are due March 1, 2015. For
more information and to apply, please visit http://www.massgeneral.
org/psychiatry/services/eating_disorders_fellowships.aspx
Recent Publications
Here are examples of EDCRP’s 2013 research articles:
Eddy, K. T., Thomas, J. J., Hastings, E., Edkins, K., Lamont,
E., Nevins, C. M., Patterson, R. M., Murray, H. B., BryantWaugh, R., & Becker, A. E. (2014). Prevalence of DSM-5
avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder in a pediatric
gastroenterology healthcare network. International Journal
of Eating Disorders. [epub ahead of print]
Eddy, K. T., Lawson, E. A., Meade, C., Meenaghan,
E., Horton, S. E., Misra, M., Klibanski, A., & Miller, K.
K. (2014). Appetite regulatory hormones in women
with anorexia nervosa: binge-eating/purging versus
restricting type. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. [epub
ahead of print]
Thomas, J. J., Koh, K. A., Eddy, K. T., Hartmann, A. S.,
Murray, H. B., Gorman, M. J., Sogg, S., & Becker, A. E.
(2014). Do DSM-5 feeding and eating disorder criteria
over-pathologize normative eating patterns among
individuals with obesity? Journal of Obesity, 320803, 1-8.
Delaney, C. B., Eddy, K. T., Hartmann, A. S., Becker,
A. E., Murray, H. B., & Thomas, J. J. (2014). Pica
and rumination behavior among individuals seeking
treatment for eating disorders or obesity. International
Journal of Eating Disorders. [epub ahead of print]
Garnett, B.R., Buelow, R., Franko, D.L., Becker, C.,
Rodgers, R.F., & Austin, S.B. (2014). The importance of
campaign saliency as a predictor of attitude and behavior
change: Apilot evaluation of social marketing campaign
Fat Talk Free Week.® Health Communication, 29, 984-995.
Gerbasi, M. E., Richards L. K., Thomas J. J., Agnew-Blais,
J. C., Thompson-Brenner, H., Gilman, S. E., & Becker,
A. E. (2014). Globalization and eating disorder risk:
Peer influence, perceived social norms, and adolescent
disordered eating in Fiji. International Journal of Eating
Disorders, 47(7), 727-737.
Hartmann, A. S., Thomas, J. J., Greenberg, J. L.,
Mattheny, N., & Wilhelm, S. (2014). A comparison of
self-esteem and perfectionism, in anorexia nervosa
and body dysmorphic disorder. Journal of Nervous and
Mental Disease. [in press]
Keshaviah, A., Edkins, K., Hastings, E. R., Krishna, M.,
Franko, D. L., Herzog, D. B., Thomas, J. J., Murray,
H. B., & Eddy, K. T. (2014). Re-Examining Premature
Mortality in Anorexia Nervosa: A Meta-Analysis Redux.
Comprehensive Psychiatry. [epub ahead of print]
Kwan, M.Y., Gordon, K.H., Eddy, K.T., Troop-Gordon,
W., & Franko, D.L., (2014). Maladaptive coping and
bulimic symptoms among undergraduate students:
Gender differences. Eating Behaviors, 15, 632-637.
Markowitz, J.T., Cousineau, T.M., Franko, D.L., Schultz,
A.T., Trant, M., Rodgers, R.F. & Laffel, L.M.B. (2014).
Text messaging intervention for teens and young adults
with diabetes. Diabetes Science and Technology, 8, 1029-1034.
Shingleton, R.M., Thompson-Brenner, H., Thompson,
D.R., Pratt, E.R., & Franko, D.L., (in press). Gender
differences in clinical trials of binge eating disorder:
An analysis of aggregated data. Journal of Consulting
and Clinical Psychology. 
Awards and Recognition
In the spring, Dr. Thomas was recognized for her
research and clinical contributions to the field as
she became a Fellow of the Academy for Eating
Disorders at the 2014 International Conference
on Eating Disorders in New York.
Dr. Thomas was named the Program Committee
Co-Chair of the 2015 International Conference
on Eating Disorders (to be held April 23-25,
2015 in Boston). Dr. Eddy will be by her side as a
program committee member.
In January, Dr. Becker was distinguished with an
award for the Exceptional Mentorship of Women
Faculty from the MGH Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Becker was awarded a generous grant
from the Hilda & Preston Davis Foundation
to investigate if and how entertainment media
might promote healthy eating and weight.
Dr. Becker also had the opportunity to vice
chair the American Psychiatric Association
International Council on Psychiatry.
Eating Disorders Clinical
and Research Program
Update
Presentations
We are grateful for the opportunity to present our research findings all over the
world. In September, Dr. Eddy presented research from our 22-year Longitudinal
Study at the 431 Project and TEDx Summit in Pittsfield, VT. These findings offer
hope that recovery is possible, even for individuals who have been ill for many years.
Here are several other notable presentations from 2014:
➤ In the spring, Drs. Thomas, Becker, Franko, and Ms. Burton presented original
research at the annual International Conference on Eating Disorders in New York.
➤ In the spring, Dr. Thomas presented a webinar on disordered eating in college
students as part of the National Eating Disorders Screening Program.
➤ In the fall, Dr. Eddy presented on
healthy eating and positive body image
in adolescents at the MGH Department
of Psychiatry’s 80th Anniversary
Symposium in Boston.
Dr. Franko after a research
presentation in Prague
➤ At the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Becker presented
on developing research capacity for youth mental health
interventions in Haiti for the Frontiers in Neuroscience for
Global Health.
Dr. Tabri and Ms. Burton at the 2014 HMS Psychiatry
Research Data poster session
➤ Dr. Gray presented on psychiatric treatment and medical
management of eating disorders at a two-day training program
in Caribou, ME for the Cary Medical Center in the fall.
➤ In the spring, Dr. Franko presented on the effects of physical activity interventions in overweight
children as well as the implementation of a text messaging program for adolescents with type I diabetes
at the World Congress on Controversies in Pediatrics in Prague.
➤ For the Hilda and Preston Davis Foundation-Global Foundation of Eating Disorders Symposium in New
York, Dr. Becker presented on the challenges of the global burden of eating disorders, but also what we
can do about it.
➤ For the MGH Psychiatry Academy’s Virtual Grand Rounds, Dr. Eddy presented on the new diagnosis and
classification of DSM-5 feeding and eating disorders.
From Our Clinician Partners in Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine
Dr. Mark Goldstein, chief of MGH’s Division
of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine,
shares some words about our multi-disciplinary
clinical partnership:
“On many occasions, our Division faculty have
collaborated with the clinicians of the EDCRP
in the care of adolescents and young adults with
eating disorders. This collaboration has allowed
the Division to expand services for patients with
eating disorders as well as center their care at MGH.
In every case, the care provided by the EDCRP to
our patients is of the highest quality, and we look
forward to a continued mutually beneficial and
productive relationship.”
In the News
On The Dr. Oz Show in February 2014, Dr. Thomas
highlighted how social media has created dangerous new
opportunities for body checking to get out of control,
explaining that “the ‘thigh gap’ has existed for as long as
eating disorders have existed, but now it has a name, it has
a brand, it has a hashtag.”
Dr. Eddy highlighted the critical need for new eating
disorder treatments in the Medscape News magazine article,
“Family-based therapy best treatment for teen anorexia.”
The New York Times quoted Dr. Thomas in an article
on the hazardous outcomes of competitive weight loss
television shows called “A Big Reveal Touches a Nerve:
Viewers of the ‘Biggest Loser’ Question a Startling Weight
Loss.” Importantly, Dr. Thomas referred to the negatively
reinforcing message that such shows send to individuals
already struggling with disordered eating.
Save the Date!
EDCRP Patient Family Day
June 13, 2015
We are excited to announce our plans
to hold a day-long program as part of
the MGH Psychiatry Academy’s Patient
and Family Education series. We will
feature invited talks from experts who
will highlight the latest clinical and
research innovations, and patients and
families who will share their inspiring
recovery stories. This event will take place
in Boston on June 13, 2015 and will be
open to the community, supported by an
educational grant from the Rubenstein
Foundation. We will post updates on our
calendar and hope to see you there!
The Academy for Eating Disorders’
International Conference will be held
in Boston this spring. Please consider
attending April 23-25, 2015 at the
Boston Marriot Copley Place Hotel. For
registration or more information, visit
http://www.aedweb.org/ICED2015/
Participate in our Research
“Brain Study”
The Neuroendocrine Unit and Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program at MGH have a research
study for women and girls between the ages of 10 and 21 who currently have a low-weight eating disorder. If
you are interested in participating or learning more, please fill out our brief online questionnaire. The link
is below. Feel free to forward it along to anyone you think might be interested! https://redcap.partners.org/
redcap/surveys/?s=vXBQ2peXoD. Or call: 617-643-0267.
We are also actively recruiting adolescents and adults for a number of other studies through the
EDCRP and the Neuroendocrine Unit. Please visit our websites for more details: www.aneresearch.com AND
www.myresearchsurvey.org.
Eating Disorders Clinical and
Research Program
Update
Eating Disorders
Clinical and Research Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
2 Longfellow Place
Suite 200
Boston, MA 02114
Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program Team
Join Us Online
Professional Staff
Visit our website!
Kamryn T. Eddy, PhD
Co-Director
Jennifer J. Thomas, PhD
Co-Director
Helen Burton, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Christopher Mancuso, BA
Clinical Research Coordinator
Clinical Teaching Faculty
Anne E. Becker, MD, PhD, ScM
Founding Director
Judith C. Craver, PhD
Audrey E. Tolman, PhD
Debra L. Franko, PhD
Associate Director
Clinical Affiliates
Emily K. Gray, MD
Staff Psychiatrist;
Teen Mentor Program Director
Laurie D. Manzo, MEd, RD, LDN
Staff Dietitian
Melissa Abraham, PhD
Helen Riess, MD
Nicole Simi, PhD
One of the most frequently visited
websites in the MGH Department of
Psychiatry, the EDCRP’s website includes
full staff bios, more news and events, as
well as frequently updated information
about our treatment, education,
training, and research initiatives.
www.massgeneral.org/eatingdisorders
WAYS TO GIVE
For information about ways to support
the clinical care, research, teaching
and advocacy activities of the MGH
Eating Disorders Clinical and Research
Program, please contact Frank Soldo at
(617) 724-0186 or [email protected]