Upcoming Webinars

Description:

This educational webinar offers an exploration of adapted treatments for eating disorders specifically within racial and ethnic minority groups. Highlighting the need for tailored therapeutic approaches, this session will discuss the populations traditionally involved in the development of the most effective eating disorder treatments and the necessity for cultural adaptations.

Key discussion points will include a detailed presentation on a study focused on loss of control eating among Black teenagers. This study underscores culturally relevant factors that potentially influence treatment outcomes, emphasizing the importance of incorporating cultural awareness into therapeutic practices. Furthermore, the webinar will explore findings from a multinational study involving adolescent girls from Australia, China, India, and Iran. This segment aims to illuminate cross-cultural differences and similarities that are critical in understanding the risk factors associated with appearance and eating concerns among populations typically underrepresented in eating disorder research.

Our goal is to equip participants with a deeper understanding of the critical considerations needed to deliver effective treatment to minoritized populations. This includes recognizing and addressing the often overlooked cultural distinctions within diverse Asian countries and beyond, fostering a more inclusive and effective approach to treatment.

• Vani Kakar, PhD. 
  Dr. Vani Kakar (she/her) is a Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Psychology at San Francisco State University. She earned her PhD in Psychology from Macquarie University, Australia. Her research encompasses two primary areas: body image and disordered eating, as well as acculturation and minority experiences. Her work examines the role of sociocultural influences on adolescent well-being, with a specific focus on individuals from diverse backgrounds and those living in low- to middle-income countries. At present, she is investigating how experiences of discrimination including those relating to social class, gender, and immigration, relate to adolescents' engagement in risky health behaviors such as tobacco use. 

• Amy Egbert, PhD, University of Connecticut
  Dr. Amy Egbert is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut. Her research focuses on the etiology, correlates, and treatment of disordered eating in youth from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. Her work examines how social and environmental influences (e.g., food marketing, access to healthy foods) impact these eating behaviors. Within this work, she is particularly interested in understanding (1) eating disorders in youth living in larger bodies, (2) the role that minority stressors, such as discrimination and racism, play in what youth eat and whether they develop eating disorders, and (3) how evidence-based treatments can be adapted to best serve youth without access to specialty mental health care.

• Iman McPherson
  Iman graduated from Tufts University in 2022, where she studied Psychology, Philosophy, and Child Study and Human Development. She developed her research interest in eating disorders in underrepresented populations as an undergraduate, and received an internal grant to complete a research review of binge-eating disorder among Black American women. Since graduating, Iman has been working at Massachusetts General Hospital as the lead Clinical Research Coordinator on an R01 investigating the neurobiology of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). She also received an NIH Diversity Supplement to undertake a substudy on the neurocognitive profile of ARFID under the senior mentorship of Jennifer Thomas, PhD. Iman has received an Early-Career Travel Scholarship from the AED, and serves as Co-Chair of the Black and Brown Professionals in Eating Disorders Special Interest Group. Iman will begin her doctoral training in clinical psychology this fall, with a special interest in eating disorders, mental health disparities, and self-destructive behaviors among diverse and marginalized populations.