AED Honors Excellence in Field, Academy
The Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) announced the 2009 recipients of its awards for significant contributions to the advancement of research and treatment of eating disorders in the latest issue of The Forum, its quarterly newsletter for members.
The Academy for Eating Disorders is a global professional association of approximately 1,200 members committed to leadership in eating disorders research, education, treatment, and prevention.
Normally, award recipients are announced at the organization’s annual conference, but the conference, scheduled to take place in Cancun, Mexico last month, was cancelled due to global concerns about the H1N1 flu virus.
“Every year many clinicians, scientists, public service organizations and businesses make exceptional contributions in the search to provide ever more effective prevention and treatment interventions for body image and eating disorders,” according to Dr. Susan Paxton, AED president. “In the Academy’s annual awards, we recognize individuals and organizations whose activities in this field have significantly improved the lives of girls and boys and women and men around the world.”
The principal awards and their recipients are:
AED Leadership Award for Clinical, Administrative or Educational
Service
Ulrike Schmidt, MD, for her clinical, administrative and educational
contributions to the field of eating disorders. Dr. Schmidt has made
outstanding contributions both directly to patients and indirectly in
terms of the administrative work she has done for the British eating
disorder community and internationally for the AED. She has served as
chairman of the Eating Disorder Section of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists, UK, as principal investigator on a large grant from the
NHIR and head of clinical and research teams, and helped to develop the
patient/carer charter for AED.
AED Leadership Award for Research
Stephen Wonderlich, PhD, in recognition of an internationally respected
body of research yielding new knowledge about eating disorders and
measurably advancing the field. Dr. Wonderlich, the director of clinical
research at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute in Fargo, North
Dakota is recognized for conducting important and impactful ED research,
and providing mentorship and teaching to other (particularly younger) ED
researchers. He has been influential in guiding new developments and
setting new directions in eating disorders research.
AED Outstanding Clinician Award
Ivan Eisler, PhD, for contributions to the clinical care and
well-being of individuals with eating disorders. Dr. Eisler, head of the
Child and Adolescent Eating Disorder Service at the Maudsley Hospital in
London, has been a true pioneer in the development of family therapy for
adolescents with anorexia nervosa. In his work with families, he has
been instrumental in the recovery of untold numbers of youngsters with
eating disorders.
AED Research-Practice Partnership Award
Carolyn Black Becker, PhD, for leadership in the innovative,
effective partnership of science, service, and community activism to
improve lives through the prevention of eating disorders. Dr. Becker, a
professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, has pioneered the
successful dissemination of an evidence-based program for overcoming
negative body image and preventing eating disorders in collaboration
with members of the Tri Delta national fraternity. Her continuing
contributions are likely to influence the dissemination and
implementation of evidence based psychological interventions more
generally beyond the domain of eating disorders. One of the fruits of
the partnership is Reflections: Body Image Academy, a centralized
training center for students and professionals.
AED Leadership Award for Corporate Service
Claude Carrier and Bos, International, for generous contributions to
increasing the impact and effectiveness of the mission of the Academy
for Eating Disorders and for special contributions to eating disorder
awareness and prevention. This award recognizes the generosity extended
to the AED by Claude Carrier and Bos, who have donated their expertise
to design the branding platform and launch the new public campaign for
AED. Claude Carrier also will donate services to help AED develop a
grass roots, public campaign aimed at the prevention of eating disorders
in a population at highest risk — adolescent girls.
The 2009 AED Fellows Class, Clinician Scholarships, Student Research Grants, AED/NIMH Early Career Investigator Travel Fellowships and the Early Career Investigator Award for Best Paper Published in 2008 were also announced. A full description of all awards can be found on the AED Web site: www.aedweb.org.