This K01 Mentored Research Scientist Development Award for Dr. Bulik, sponsored by Dr. Kenneth Kendler, Describes a rigorous three year training program in genetic epidemiology with a focus on eating disorders. Eating disorders represent a significant public health problem for women in the United States and other Westernized countries, yet fairly little is known about their etiology. Completion of the program will allow Dr. Bulik to combine her extensive clinical research experience in eating disorders with newly acquired skills in genetics and epidemiology in order to conduct independent research that will address etiological questions in the filed. To achieve this aim, Dr. Bulik will receive training in the areas of epidemiology, biometrical and Mendelian genetics, advanced statistical techniques for the analysis genetically-informative data, and molecular genetics. She will apply this new knowledge to a series of studies examining the epidemiology, genetics, and genetic epidemiology of eating disorders. Specific research objectives include: i) examining the reliability of the diagnosis of bulimia nervosa; ii) evaluating predictors of diagnostic reliability; iii) evaluating the current diagnostic nosology for the classification of eating disorders; iv) examining the extent to which major depression and bulimia nervosa share common genetic and environmental risk factors; v) examining the extent to which substance dependence and bulimia nervosa share common genetic and environmental risk factors; vi) developing an integrated epigenetic model of eating disorders; vii) exploring the extent to which specified familial risk-factors contribute to the transmission of bulimia nervosa; viii) exploring environmental contributions to the etiology of bulimia nervosa using a co-twin control design; ix) examining the patterns and prevalence of disordered eating in a population-based sample of female African-American twins; and x) collecting additional detailed information on eating behaviors and attitudes from a birth-registry sample of female twins. Dr. Bulik will also receive extensive training and experience in working with a variety of genetic epidemiologic research designs. By completing this program, Dr. Bulik and her sponsors envision making substantial scientific contributions that will advance the understanding of eating disorders in ways that are only achievable using genetically-informative data. At the end of the three year period, Dr. Bulik will have received sufficient high-quality training and experience to be a highly productive independent research scientist in genetic epidemiology.
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