Research Training Day

Research Training Day
Brought to you by Wiley

Qualitative Eating Disorder Research: Why, When, and How?

Andrea LaMarre, PhD

Massey University (Albany Campus), New Zealand

In this workshop, we will explore the "why, when, and how" of qualitative eating disorders research. The session is geared toward those who are interested in exploring eating disorder experiences qualitatively--that is, methods that involve speaking, writing, or creating with people, or analyzing existing talk, text, or other non-numerical data. It is primarily geared toward those who are new to qualitative approaches. We will explore questions around when qualitative approaches can be appropriate for addressing research questions, which approaches to qualitative research exist and how they differ, common pitfalls in conducting and interpreting qualitative research, and "frequently asked questions" about qualitative research. We will dig into some tensions that arise when we try to interpret the quality of qualitative approaches using a quantitative lens and propose solutions for producing and interpreting strong qualitative research.

Big Ideas in Eating Disorders: A Conversation with Dr. Tim Walsh

Dr. Kathleen Pike

Columbia University

Big Ideas in Eating Disorders is hosted by Dr. Kathleen Pike, clinical psychologist and professor at Columbia University. This conversation with Dr. B. Timothy Walsh is the first in the series. Big Ideas in Eating Disorders captures the narrative history of our field from those who were among the pioneering scholars who shaped our modern understanding of eating disorders. In this series, leaders, who were there in the beginning, share with us their personal and professional journeys, experiences, reflections and ideas that never quite get represented this way in standard academic publications.

In this 45-minute session, Dr. Pike interviews Dr. Walsh, Ruane Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia University about a big idea that has crystalized for him over his career. We hope that this and subsequent episodes will create continuity from generation to generation for scholars in the field. Our aim is that these conversations provide insights and guidance that inspire new and next generations of researchers in the work of advancing science and discovery to advance understanding, prevention and treatment of eating disorders.

B. Timothy Walsh, MD, FAED established the eating disorders research program at the New York State Psychiatric Institute/Columbia University Irving Medical Center where he is Ruane Professor of Psychiatry. Over his fifty-year career, Dr. Walsh has pioneered laboratory-based research focused on examining specific behavioral disturbances of eating disorders. He has also directed a clinical research program of groundbreaking treatment studies that have set practice standards for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Dr. Walsh has served as President of both the Academy for Eating Disorders and the Eating Disorders Research Society, and chaired the Eating Disorders Work Group for both DSM-IV and DSM-5. In this episode of Big Ideas In Eating Disorders, Dr. Walsh reflects on how he got interested in medicine, psychiatry and eating disorders and how he learned the value in knowing what people are eating and not just what they tell you they are eating. With evident curiosity and passion, Dr. Walsh shares the evolution of his thinking about why certain aspects of eating disturbances become fixed and how he arrived at a big idea that he hopes will unlock new possibilities for behavior change.