Our team
Dr. Cynthia Bulik at the University of North Carolina is leading the effort.
Dr. Laura Thornton is the EDGI Deputy Director.
Our partners include Dr. Nick Martin at the QIMR Berghofer Queensland Institute for Medical Research in Brisbane, Australia, Drs. Martin Kennedy and Jennifer Jordan at the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand, and Dr. Liselotte Petersen at Aarhus University in Aarhus, Denmark. Dr. Gerome Breen is leading the UK effort at King’s College London and Dr. Bulik is also leading the effort in Sweden at Karolinska Institutet.
Professor Cynthia Bulik
Cynthia M. Bulik, PhD, FAED is Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders and the Founding Director of the University of North Carolina Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, and Professor at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
A clinical psychologist, Prof Bulik has been conducting research and treating individuals with eating disorders since 1982.
Prof Bulik’s research includes treatment, laboratory, epidemiological, twin and molecular genetic studies of eating disorders and body weight regulation. She has active research collaborations in more than 20 countries worldwide.
Prof Bulik is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Eating Disorders Coalition Research Award, the Academy for Eating Disorders Leadership Award for Research, the Price Family National Eating Disorders Association Research Award, the Academy for Eating Disorders Meehan/Hartley Award for Advocacy and the National Eating Disorders Association Lifetime Achievement Award.
She has published more than 500 papers and chapters on eating disorders, and is author of seven books.
“I have dedicated my career to discovering how both genes and environment cause eating disorders. EDGI is a unique opportunity to accelerate that work to inform personalized prevention and treatment efforts. Ultimately, we want to improve lives and eliminate death in individuals with eating disorders,” said Prof Bulik.
Prof Bulik’s work life is enriched by being happily married, the mother of three adult children, a gold medalist in ice dancing, and an avid ballroom dancer. Read more at www.cynthiabulik.com.
Professor Laura Thornton
Professor Laura Thornton is the Deputy Director of the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) – the world’s largest genetic research study of eating disorders ever performed, that aims to identify the hundreds of genes that influence a person’s risk of developing anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder, to improve treatment, and ultimately, save lives.
She is also an experienced research program coordinator and biostatistician, with more than 20 years’ experience coordinating multi-site, world-wide research efforts.
In 1986, Prof Thornton graduated with a BS in Biology from the William Paterson University of New Jersey. She then continued her studies at Penn State University, Pennsylvania, completing her MS in Genetics in 1989, and a PhD in Genetics in 1992.
Throughout her career, Prof Thornton has worked on many large-scale studies, including the Virginia Twin Registry, The Price Foundation Genetics of Eating Disorders studies, the Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI), the China National Health Survey, Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium for Anorexia Nervosa, and the Swedish Twin Registry.
Prof Thornton’s primary research concerns the phenotypic aspects and genetic association of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, purging disorder, and tobacco use. Her ongoing research on eating disorders demonstrates her commitment to advancing the understanding of all aspects of disordered eating, from both an etiological and developmental perspective.
Following her role as Deputy Director of ANGI, Prof Thornton is excited to assume the role of Deputy Director of EDGI.
“It is my honor to coordinate this landmark study across three continents. This research has the potential to transform our understanding of and approach to the treatment of eating disorders,” stated Prof Thornton.
