Professor Green receives award for eating disorder research

The American Psychological Association’s (APA) Society for the Psychology of Women has chosen Ringer Distinguished Professor Melinda Green as this year’s recipient of the Psychotherapy With Women Award.

According to the APA, those applying for the award submit research, clinical applications, case studies, or theoretical reviews for consideration. Then, a panel of psychologists read the entries and chose the recipient based on theoretical creativity, methodological skills, and importance to psychotherapy with women.

Green was recognized for her journal article, “Dissonance-based eating disorder program reduces cardiac risk: A preliminary trial,” published in Health Psychology.

“I feel very honored to have received the 2017 Psychotherapy With Women Award,” Green said. “I am proud that our research will increase understanding of the cardiac risks associated with eating disorders and how to most effectively prevent and treat these deadly disorders. Many thanks to the Society for the Psychology of Women for recognizing our contribution in this area, calling further attention to this important issue.”

Green has worked for more than a decade to research eating disorders. In her work, she has discovered a connection between eating disorders and cardiac risks, identifying markers of cardiac risk which worsen with eating disorder symptoms and improve with treatment. Her research has important implications for learning how to prevent and treat cardiac-related deaths in eating disorder patients.

She is currently working with a student to analyze data and results from a two-year trial of an online prevention project.