Eating Disorders Summer Research Fellowship
Call: 617-724-0799
Email: syee5@mgh.harvard.edu
syee5@mgh.harvard.edu
syee5@mgh.harvard.edu
Overview
The summer research fellowship program at the Eating Disorder Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital is designed to stimulate interest in eating disorders research and train early career investigators in the field.
Requirements
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Indicate faculty mentor preference(s):
- Ashley Dunford, PhD
- Debra Franko, PhD
- Helen Murray, PhD
- Jennifer Thomas, PhD
- Kamryn Eddy, PhD
- Kendra Becker, PhD
- Lauren Breithaupt, Ph.D.
- P. Evelyna Kambanis, PhD
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Proposal elements
- Background/Rationale (500 word limit)
- Hypotheses (150 word limit)
- Methods (500 word limit)
- Potential significance of findings, if hypothesis is confirmed (150 word limit)
- Eight-week timeline with a goal for each week (200 word limit)
- Proposed final product (e.g., abstract and target conference, manuscript and target journal, etc.; 150 word limit)
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Current curriculum vitae
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Two letters of reference
Please note, applicants must be enrolled in a degree-granting program (e.g., master's or PhD program) during the summer of the fellowship. Individuals who will be between undergraduate and graduate education or who have graduated from their terminal degree program are not eligible.
Curriculum
Fellows accepted into the program complete an eight-week independent research project in residence at the Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program (EDCRP) from June 8 to July 31, 2026. During that time, fellows will receive supervision and mentorship, participate in current research activities, and meet weekly with our faculty. Fellowships will be awarded to outstanding applicants who submit a proposal that describes an original research project.
Research Experience
Fellows participate in eating disorders research within the Eating Disorder Clinical and Research Program at MGH.
How to Apply
Application submission period begins: October 29, 2026
Deadline for applications: December 15, 2026
Apply here: Application Form
- Eating disorders research training
- Summer fellowship format
- Early career investigator development
- Eating Disorder Clinical and Research Program at MGH
Student projects have focused on a range of topics from prevention to personality variables and biological factors. Many fellows stay in touch with us as they continue their independent research projects after their fellowships have ended, typically resulting in peer-reviewed articles or theses. Several fellows have gone on to become independent investigators in the eating disorder field.
2025
Iman McPherson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Research Project: Neurocognitive Profile of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: Set-Shifting, Delay Discounting, and Detail Orientation
Heather Catherine Duggan, The University of Sheffield
Research Project: How Do Therapists Experience 20-Session Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (CBT-AN-20)?
Sonakshi Negi, University of Kansas
Research Project: Using Factor Mixture Modeling to Classify Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
2024
Po-Han Kung, University of Melbourne
Research Project: Hippocampal resting-state effective connectivity in restrictive eating disorders and its association with ghrelin
Kathryn Pasquariello, Suffolk University
Research Project: Reading Between the Beeps: Modeling Temporal Dynamics in Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder via Network Analysis
Julia Engelkamp, Konstanz University
Research Project: Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
2023
Copeland Winten, Queensland University of Technology
Research Project: Dietetic Led Treatment for Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Susana C. Garcia, University at Albany, SUNY
Research Project: Preliminary Development and Validation of the Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment Scale
Vittoria Trolio, McGill University
Research Project: Cholecystokinin and ghrelin are associated with different domains of symptom severity in avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: A cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation
2022
Taylor Rezeppa, Ohio University
Research Project: Examining Serum Leptin in Youth and Young Adults with ARFID Across the Weight Spectrum
Yaen Chen, Northeastern University
Research Project: Understanding cortical thickness and surface area differences among adolescent females with low-weight avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)
2021
Sarah Dolan, Hofstra University
Research Project: Anhedonia in eating disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Kaitlin Rozzell, University of Hawaii
Research Project: A comparison of ghrelin and PYY between individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder and healthy controls
2020
Traci Carson, University of Michigan
Research Project: Identifying Latent Classes of Relative Energy Deficiency Syndrome Outcomes & Predictors of Class Membership in a Sample of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One Female Cross Country Runners
Christopher Mancuso, University of Wyoming
Research Project: Examining associations between oxytocin and psychopathology in young women with low-weight eating disorders