Mentoring and Research in Adolescent Eating Disorders

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application is a competitive renewal for a Mid-Career Development Award (K24-MH074457) designed to promote the continued development of the applicant (James Lock, MD, Ph.D) in conducting novel research and mentoring students and other investigators in the area of child and adolescent eating disorders. The applicant is active in developing and testing new treatments for eating disorders, mentoring new investigators, and developing his capacities to conduct neurocognitive and neurofunctional research as outlined in his previous award. This expansion of the scale and focus of Dr. Lock's research and mentoring activities was the direct result of having had the Mid-Career Development Award. In order to make continued progress in patient oriented research in the area of child and adolescent eating disorders and to continue to mentor young investigators, support for an additional 5 years is proposed in this application. Dr. Lock's own development as a research scientist would benefit from an additional period of Mid-Career Development by obtaining further training in neuroimaging research and in genetic research methods to be applied to eating disorder populations and by providing resources for additional mentoring for future scientists in the area of eating disorder research. This application has the following specific aims: 1) To continue to develop and test novel treatments for child and adolescent eating disorders, including enhancing a research network for anorexia nervosa research and dissemination; 2) To promote translational research in the neurosciences in patient oriented research related to eating disorders through advanced training in imaging research and new training in psychiatric genetic research; 3) To increase the number of trained researchers capable of conducting clinical research and translational research in child and adolescent eating disorders through mentoring and research training. The range of currently funded research and planned research provides an essential scaffold for research training.