Committees & Task Forces


2022-2023 Standing Committees & Task Forces

2025 ICED Scientific Program Committee

Co-Chair: April Smith

Co-Chair: Luz Scappatura

Board Liaison: Emilio Compte

Committee Members: 

  • Jennifer Campbell
  • Angelica Claudino
  • Nadia Craddock
  • Lauren Forrest
  • Kyle Ganson
  • Seena Grewal
  • Carolina Lopez
  • Jenny Loudon
  • Dianna Rancourt

Advocacy & Communication Committee

The AED Advocacy and Communications Committee identify and work on projects that support greater awareness and education about eating disorders through a variety of mediums, including written press releases and AED-supported statements, letter-writing to organizations and individuals, and collaboration with organizations that have similar goals.

Co-Chair: Abigail Matthews

Co-Chair: Amanda Raffoul

Board Liaison: Gry Kjaersdam Telleus

Committee Members:

  • Blair Burnette
  • Phaedra Longhurst
  • Jenny Loudon
  • Mutaz Osman
  • Carly Panacowski
  • Millie Plotkin
  • Shelby  Saulnier
  • Natalie Szykowny
  • Wanqing Xu

Awards and Scientific Review Committee

Through the generosity of AED members and individuals and families within our community, a number of grants and scholarships are given on a yearly basis to members of the Academy. The Awards and Scientific Review Committee selects these recipients who are subsequently honored at the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).

Co-Chair:
Lindsay Bodell

Co-Chair: Leslie Sim

Board Liaison: Renee Rienecke

Committee Members: 

  • Joanna Ankai-Taylor
  • Wayne Bowers
  • An  Dang
  • Heather Davis
  • Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft
  • K. Jean Forney
  • Rachel Kramer
  • Isabel Krug
  • Jamie Manwaring
  • Jessie Menzel
  • Shannon O'Connor

Blog Editors

Editor: Brian Belko

Editor: Elizabeth Cummings

Board Liaison: Gry Kjaersdam Telleus

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee to the Board

Co-Chair: Chevese Turner

Co-Chair: Nadia Craddock

Board Liaison: Lesley Williams

Committee Members:

  • Bryn Austin
  • Erin Harrop

Educational Programming Committee

The Educational Programming Committee  organizes several education-related initiatives within AED, with two primary foci: (1) Continuing Education materials monthly from articles published in The International Journal of Eating Disorders, and (2) the development and management of the AED webinar series. With the support of the AED staff, the EPC regularly engages with IJED article authors and colleagues around the world to develope and offer evidence-based educational content.

Co-Chair: Linda Booj

Co-Chair: Caitlin Shepherd

Board Liaison: Karen Jennings-Mathis

Committee Members: 

  • Althea Bardin
  • Anna Ciao
  • Katelyn Melcher
  • Jessie Menzel
  • Mutaz Osman
  • Michal Rozenstein
  • Colleen Schreyer
  • Peiyi Wang
  • Yaohui Wei

Ethics Committee

Chair: Richard Kreipe

Board Liaison: Renee Rienecke

Committee Members:

  • Anja Hilbert
  • Katharine Loeb
  • Lucene Wisniewski

Experts by Experience Committee

The Experts by Experience Committee is comprised of AED members with lived experience. The main mission of our committee is to fully integrate the perspective, wisdom, and knowledge of patients and caregivers into the AED's programs and services, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of eating disorder research and treatment. Only people with lived experience as a patient or as a caregiver are considered for the Experts by Experience committee, and we welcome both professionals and non-professionals. 

Co-Chair: Ellen Bennett

Co-Chair: Kym Piekunka

Board Liaison: Suzanne Dooley-Hash

Committee Members:

  • Sandi James
  • Laura Kenyon
  • Jenny Loudon
  • Katelyn Melcher
  • Joanna Mercuri
  • Lori Morgan

Fellows Committee

The AED awards Fellow status to recognize distinguished contributions made by AED members in the field of eating disorders. Each year, the Fellows Committee (consisting of 3-5 Fellows of AED) reviews applications to become a Fellow and selects those AED members whose distinguished contribution is to be recognized in this way. In addition, members of the Fellows Committee organize the Meet the Expert event held annually at the International Conference for Eating Disorders and participate if they are available. 

Co-Chair: Marcia Herrin
Co-Chair: Robyn Sysko

Board Liaison: Renee Rienecke

Committee Members: 

  • Jennifer Couturier
  • Gina Dimitropoulos
  • Allison Kelly

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee assists with preparation of the annual budget and advises the Board of Directors concerning its approval. The committee also advises the Board of Directors on the investment of the financial reserve and on fiscal matters throughout the year.  The committee meets quarterly via Zoom.


Chair: 
Janet Lydecker

Board Liaison: Rachel Bachner-Melman

Committee Members: 

  • Mary Beth Blasnek
  • Nicole Cifra
  • Esti Jacobs
  • Debra Katzman
  • Isabel Krug
  • Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon
  • Rebecka Peebles
  • Kelly Sobczak

Forum (Newsletter) Committee

The Forum Committee consists of the editorial staff for the AED quarterly newsletter. Staff include the editor and two book reviewers who are asked to review at least one eating disorders-focus publication per quarter.

Editor: Abigail Matthews

Board Liaison: Gry Kjaersdam Telleus

Book Reviewers: 

  • Amanda Bruening
  • Leslie Sim
  • Bertha Winterman

Medical Care Standards Committee (MCSC)

The Medical Care Standards Committee is responsible for ensuring the Medical Care Standards Guide remains up to date and relevant, seeking endorsements from other professional organizations and facilitating the distribution of the guide. We also work with other committees of AED to make sure that that any care guidelines related to care of Eating Disorder patients are up to date. The committee meets monthly via Zoom and committee members are asked to occassionally take minutes.

Co-Chair: Anna Butters Tanner

Co-Chair: Amanda Downey

Board Liaison: Karen Jennings-Mathis

Committee Members:

  • Rebecca Boswell
  • Brooks Brodrick
  • Stephanie Conrad
  • Scott  Crow
  • Diane DerMarderosian
  • Kerri Heckert
  • Shelby Noelle Ortiz
  • Molly Perlman
  • Millie Plotkin
  • Kaitlin Slaven
  • Lazaro Zayas

Advisors

  • Nicole Cifra
  • Suzanne Dooley-Hash
  • Angela Guarda
  • Beth Hartman McGilley
  • Debra Katzman
  • Judy  Krasna
  • Jessica Moore
  • Josie Neale
  • Rebecka Peebles
  • Ellen Rome
  • Lori Schur
  • Sebastian Soneira
  • Michael Spaudling-Barclay
  • Mark Warren
  • Therese Waterhous
  • Lesley Williams

Member Retention/Recruitment Committee

The MRRC is an active committee that generates initiatives to better serve the needs of AED members. We host the annual Mentor/Mentee event at ICED, engage with members via surveys and other activities to ensure that members needs are being met. We also work with other AED committees on various projects and tasks throughout the year.

Co-Chair:
Megan Parker

Co-Chair: Ashley Acle

Board Liaison: Leslie Karwoski Anderson

Committee Members: 

  • Brittany Athmer
  • Samantha Hahn
  • Naomi Hill
  • Sandi James
  • Ani  Keshishian
  • Amanda Lehner
  • Sarah LeMay-Russell
  • Abby Sarrett-Cooper

Nominations Committee

Chair/Board Liaison: Jennifer J. Thomas

Committee Members: 

  • Bryn Austin
  • Ursula Bailer
  • Debra Franko
  • Jennifer Lundgren
  • Lauren  Muhlheim

Online and Social Media Committee

The AED Online and Social Media Committee (OSMC) supports the marketing and communication functions of the AED by providing in-field expertise on major marketing campaigns and by communicating mission-relevant information to membership and the general public through online and social media posts.  The committee also supports the AED management in website updates and redesign, as well as monitoring and managing communications in the AED Online Community.

Co-Chair: 
Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon

Co-Chair: Gabrielle McDonough

Webmaster: Kristen Lohse

Board Liaison: Rebecka Peebles

Committee Members:

  • Sarah Chiao
  • An Dang
  • Anna Karam Jones
  • Blakely Hunze
  • Jenna  Line
  • Therese Waterhous

Partnership, Chapter & Affiliate Committee

Co-Chair: Karin Waldherr

Board Liaison: Gry Kjaersdam Telleus

Committee Members: 

  • Stephen Anderson
  • Tiffany Brown
  • Kiera Buchanan
  • Kiran Chitale
  • Macarena  Cruz
  • Carine El Khazen Hadati
  • Hermien  Elgersma
  • Hans-Christoph Friederich
  • Bonnie Harkin
  • Michal Hason Rozenstein
  • Guenole Huon de Penanster
  • Anna Jakobs Danielsson
  • Gundrum Kristmanndottir
  • Ashish Kumar
  • Sara  McDevitt
  • Umberto Nizzoli
  • Mayaro Ortega Luyando
  • Hana Papezova
  • Renee Prijatelj
  • Ellen Rome
  • Janice Russell
  • Ana Rosa Sepulveda
  • Sebastian Soneira
  • Olga Sushko
  • Kritika  Tiwari
  • Lena Westin
  • Lars Woeckel
  • Kazuhiro Yoshiuchi

Research-Practice Committee

The Research Practice Committee focuses on fostering the connection between eating disorders research and practice, and works via sub-committees and projects such as Forum Articles, Guest Blogging for AED website, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Promotion, and the ICED Research Practice Global Think Tank session.

Co-Chair:
Rachel Presskreischer
Co-Chair: Helena Lewis-Smith

Board Liaison: Karen Jennings Mathis

Committee Members: 

  • Sarah Altman
  • Kristen Anderson
  • Althea Bardin
  • Kayla Costello
  • Seena Grewal
  • Katie Loth
  • Caitlin McMaster
  • Leslie Sim

Special Interest Groups Oversight Committee

The Special Interest Groups (SIG) Oversight Committee (SOC) supports the (approximately 30) AED SIGs throughout the year and at the annual conference. Through monthly conference calls and emails, we help SIG co-chairs organize ICED SIG Discussion Panels, SIG meetings, and other virtual events to engage SIG members effectively.

Co-Chair: Abby Sarrett-Cooper
Co-Chair: Jennifer Campbell

Board Liaison: Leslie Karwoski Anderson

Committee Members:

  • Melissa Atkinson
  • Kimberly Claudat
  • Anita Federici
  • Erin Harrop
  • Heather Hower
  • Danyale McCurdy-McKinnon
  • Kaila Peak-Rishel
  • Therese Waterhous


About AED Committee Service

Committee volunteers are the lifeblood of the Academy for Eating Disorders, and our committees are a crucial part of our success. Committee volunteers serve three-year terms, during which they have the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded professionals and contribute their expertise to advance our mission. Our committees meet monthly via Zoom, making it convenient for members across the globe to connect and engage with their peers. Meeting times are arranged to accommodate the majority of committee members, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to participate. Outside of regular meetings, the time commitment varies depending on the projects a committee is undertaking, but typically does not exceed several hours per month. Each committee is led by two co-chairs who are selected from among interested committee members. Committee membership is an excellent way to take an active role in the organization and gain valuable leadership experience. Several members of AED's leadership started as committee members, demonstrating the importance of this role in developing future leaders in the field of eating disorders. Join our community of passionate volunteers and help us make a difference!

The call for volunteers opens in the early spring each year and is publicized via email, social media, and AED's online communities. Volunteer terms begin and end at AED's ICED conference.  Applicants will be able to apply to up to three committees that align with their interests and will need to submit their CV along with a letter of interest for each committee. Volunteers must be (or be willing to become) AED members and maintain their membership throughout their volunteer term.