Neurobiology of Eating Disorders

ED have the highest mortality rate among all psychiatric disorders and are characterized by maladaptive eating behaviors (i.e. overeating, binge eating or voluntary restriction) that often co-occur with anxiety and depression. In over 70% of ED cases, stress precedes maladaptive eating, yet the basic mechanisms involved in stress integration by the brain and the effects of stress in the regulation of feeding are unclear. In the lab we aim to understand the neural basis of maladaptive eating using Anorexia Nervosa models and Chronic Stress models.