Eating disorders

Dr Emma Kinnaird from the University of Oxford continues to be interested in the overlap between neurodiversity and eating disorders (EDs).

She previously completed her PhD under the supervision of Professor Kate Tchanturia, focusing on developing a specialised care pathway for autistic individuals with EDs. Through her research and work as a clinical psychologist, she recognised how little we understand about the overlap between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and EDs, and how this can affect treatment approaches.

Most people with EDs are women, and there is a risk that women with ADHD are less recognised. With funding from the Foundation, Dr Kinnaird aims to explore this topic in more detail - with Kate Tchanturia as a co-investigator. She aims to support neurodivergent people accessing ED services in the future, as well as their clinicians. Dr Kinnaird plans to recruit women diagnosed with bulimia nervosa (BN) and use gold-standard diagnostic tools to assess whether they meet the criteria for ADHD. The team will then examine whether there are clinical differences between those with BN alone, and those with co-occurring ADHD/ BN.

This award was supported by Rosetrees.