Research & Publications
Research Mission
The mission of Eating Recovery Center' and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center's research team is to investigate scientific topics and to produce scholarly contributions for the literature on eating, mood, and anxiety disorders. Given their large patient population and data bases, ERC and Pathlight are uniquely positioned to pursue a number of research questions related to these disorders and their treatment in higher levels of care. In addition to examining treatment outcomes at its numerous facilities, the research team is also investigating other important topics, such as the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of online treatment, the degree to which trauma symptoms improve over the course of trauma-informed care, and predictors of treatment dropout. Our team is committed to further establishing ERC and Pathlight as research leaders, in addition to ERC and Pathlight’s notable clinical contributions to the field.
Research Team
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Craig Johnson, PhD, CEDS, FAED LinkCraig Johnson, PhD, CEDS, FAED
Senior Clinical AdvisorDr. Johnson has been a leader in the field of Eating Disorders for over 40 years. Currently he is a Senior Consultant at ERC ...READ MORE -
Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS Link
Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS
Chief Scientific Officer, Eating Recovery Center / Founder and Senior Consultant of ACUTE at Denver HealthDr. Philip Mehler, prior to joining Eating Recovery Center, served as the Medical Director of Denver Health and Hospital ...READ MORE -
Susan McClanahan, PhD, CEDS Link
Susan McClanahan, PhD, CEDS
Senior Clinical AdvisorSusan McClanahan, Ph.D., CEDS is the current Chairman of the ERC Pathlight Advisory Board and the Founder of Pathlight ...READ MORE -
Renee D. Rienecke, PhD, FAED Link
Renee D. Rienecke, PhD, FAED
Director of ResearchRenee D. Rienecke, PhD, FAED, is a clinical psychologist and Director of Research for Eating Recovery Center/Pathlight Mood and ...READ MORE -
Daniel Le Grange, PhD, FAED Link
Daniel Le Grange, PhD, FAED
Research ConsultantDaniel Le Grange, PhD, holds a Distinguished Professorship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where he is ...READ MORE -
Thomas Joiner, PhD Link
Thomas Joiner, PhD
Research ConsultantThomas Joiner went to college at Princeton and received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin ...READ MORE -
Dan V. Blalock, PhD Link
Dan V. Blalock, PhD
Research ConsultantDan Blalock is a health services researcher in the Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation at the Durham ...READ MORE -
Alan Duffy, MS Link
Alan Duffy, MS
Patient Experience & Research ManagerAlan Duffy is Patient Experience & Research Manager at Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center in Denver ...READ MORE -
Jamie Manwaring, PhD Link
Jamie Manwaring, PhD
Clinical PsychologistDr. Manwaring earned her doctorate in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, where she published peer-reviewed ...READ MORE -
Millie Plotkin, MLS Link
Millie Plotkin, MLS
InformationistMillie Plotkin, MLS, is Informationist for Eating Recovery Center, and creator of the Eating Disorders Information Gateway ...READ MORE
Recent Publications
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2021
Mehler, P. S. & Andersen, A. E. (Eds.). (2021). Eating disorders: a guide to medical care and complications (4th ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Gorrell, S., Le Grange, D., Blalock, D. V., Mehler, P. S., Johnson, C., Manwaring, J., Duffy, A., Huston, E., McClanahan, S., & Rienecke, R. D. (2021). Gender identity, race/ethnicity and eating pathology in a treatment-seeking community sample. Journal of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy, 31, 77-89.
Rienecke, R. D., Blalock, D. V., Duffy, A., Manwaring, J., Le Grange, D., Johnson, C., Mehler, P. S., & McClanahan, S. F. (2021). Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and trauma-informed care in higher levels of care for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54, 627-632.
Manwaring, J., Blalock, D. V., Le Grange, D., Duffy, A., McClanahan, S. F., Johnson, C., Mehler, P. S., Plotkin, M., & Rienecke, R. D. (2021). Motivation to recover for adolescent and adult eating disorder patients in residential treatment. European Eating Disorders Review, 29, 622-633.
Rabito, G., Blalock, D. V., Beaty, L., Harr, B., Manwaring, J., Rienecke, R. D., Trees, N., & Mehler, P. (2021). Refeeding patients with moderate and severe eating disorders: A retrospective cohort study. International Journal of Nutritional Sciences, 6, 1050.
Rienecke, R. D., Gorrell, S., Blalock, D. V., Smith, K., Lock, J., & Le Grange, D. (2021). Expressed emotion and long-term outcome among adolescents with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 54(11), 2019-2024.
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2020
Blalock, D. V., Le Grange, D., Johnson, C., Duffy, A., Manwaring, J., Tallent, C. N., Schneller, K., Solomon, A. M., Mehler, P. S., McClanahan, S. F., & Rienecke, R. D. (2020). Pilot assessment of a virtual intensive outpatient program for adults with eating disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 28, 789-795.
Cass, K. M., McGuire, C., Bjork, I., Sobotka, N., Walsh, K., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Medical complications of anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatics. [E-pub ahead of print].
Cost, J. J., Krantz, M. J., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Medical complications of anorexia nervosa. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 87(6), 361-366.
Dzombak, J. W. P., Haynos, A. F., Rienecke, R. D., & Van Huysse, J. L. (2020). Brief report: Differences in nonsuicidal self-injury according to binge eating and purging status in an adolescent sample seeking eating disorder treatment. Eating Behaviors, 37, 101389.
Farasat, M., Watters, A., Bendelow, T., Schuller, J., Mehler, P. S., & Krantz, M. J. (2020). Long-term Cardiac Arrhythmia and Chronotropic Evaluation in Patients with Severe Anorexia Nervosa (LACE-AN): a pilot study. Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology, 31(2), 432-439.
Fox, C. J., Morton, A., Watters, A., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Abdominal pain associated with anorexia nervosa and median arcuate ligament syndrome: a rare condition shadowed by a postoperative conversion disorder. Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 54(6), 528-531.
Gibson, D., Watters, A., Cost, J. J., Mascolo, M., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Extreme anorexia nervosa: medical findings, outcomes, and inferences from a retrospective cohort. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8, 25.
Golden, N. H. & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Atypical anorexia nervosa can be just as bad. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 87(3), 172-174.
Homan, K. J., Crowley, S. L., & Rienecke, R. D. (2020). Predictors of improvement in a family-based partial hospitalization/intensive outpatient program for eating disorders. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 15, 1-17.
Rienecke, R. D. (2020). Emotional overinvolvement with adolescents: A problematic construct? Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 7, 162-185.
Rienecke, R. D. (2020). Treatment dropout in a family-based partial hospitalization program for eating disorders: A response to Kawada. Eating and Weight Disorders. [E-pub ahead of print].
Rienecke, R. D., Drayton, A., Richmond, R., & Mammel, K. A. (2020). Adapting treatment in an eating disorder program to meet the needs of patients with ARFID: three case reports. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25(2), 293-303.
Rienecke, R. D. & Le Grange, D. (Eds.). (2020). Eating disorders and expressed emotion: integrating treatment, intervention, and a positive family environment. New York: Routledge.
Rienecke, R. D., Nance, L., & Wallis, E. (2020). Eating disorders. In B. P. Marriott, D. F. Birt, V. A. Stallings, and A. A. Yates (Eds.), Present Knowledge in Nutrition, (11th Edition, Vol. 2) (pp. 347-360). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Smith, K. N., Van Huysse, J. L, & Rienecke, R. D. (2020). Changes in meal-related anxiety
predict treatment outcomes in an intensive family-based treatment program for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. [E-pub ahead of print].
Tran, T., Brunnquell, M., Mehler, P. S., & Krantz, M. J. (2020). Man versus machine? Acquired long QT syndrome in a patient with anorexia nervosa. Annals of Noninvasive Electrocardiology, 25(4), e12704.
Van Huysse, J. L., Smith, K., Mammel, K. A., Prohaska, N., & Rienecke, R. (2020). Early weight gain predicts treatment response in adolescents with anorexia nervosa enrolled in a family-based partial hospitalization program. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53(4), 606-610.
Walsh, K., Blalock, D. V., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Hematologic findings in a large sample of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. American Journal of Hematology, 95(4), E98-E101.
Watters, A., Gibson, D., Dee, E., Mascolo, M., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Superior mesenteric artery syndrome in severe anorexia nervosa: a case series. Clinical Case Reports, 8(1), 185-189.
Workman, C., Blalock, D. V., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Bone density status in a large population of patients with anorexia nervosa. Bone, 131, 115161.
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2019
Anand, P. & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Osteoporosis recovery in severe anorexia nervosa: a case report. Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 38.
Coniglio, K. A., Christensen, K. A., Haynos, A. F., Rienecke, R. D., & Selby, E. A. (2019). The posted effect of positive affect in anorexia nervosa: Advocating for a forgotten piece of a puzzling disease. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52, 971-976.
Cost, J. J. & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Level of care considerations for severe and extreme eating disorders. Eating Disorders Review, 30(1).
Cotter, R., Lyden, J., Mehler, P. S., Miceli, J., Schuller, J., & Krantz, M. J. (2019). A case series of profound bradycardia in patients with severe anorexia nervosa: thou shall not pace? HeartRhythm Case Reports, 5(10), 511-515.
Geer, B., Gibson, D., Grayeb, D., Benabe, J., Victory, S., Mehler, S., & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Metformin abuse: a novel and dangerous purging behavior in anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(3), 319-321.
Gibson, D. & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Anorexia nervosa and the immune system-a narrative review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 8(11), 1915.
Gibson, D., Workman, C., & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Medical complications of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 42(2), 263-274.
Knopf, E. & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Managing low bone mineral density in adolescents with eating disorders: a review of pathophysiology, diagnostic modalities, and treatment. Eating Disorders Review, 30(4).
Levinson, C. A., Zerwas, S., Brosof, L. C., Thornton, L. M., Strober, M., Pivarunas, B., Crowley, J. J., Yilmaz, Z., Berrettini, W. H., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Fichter, M. M., Halmi, K. A., Johnson, C., Kaplan, A. S., La Via, M., Mitchell, J., Rotondo, A., Woodside, D. B., Kaye, W. H., & Bulik, C. M. (2019). Associations between dimensions of anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder: an examination of personality and psychological factors in patients with anorexia nervosa. European Eating Disorders Review, 27(2), 161-172.
Mehler, P. S. (2019). Clinical guidance on osteoporosis and eating disorders: the NEDA continuing education series. Eating Disorders, 27(5), 471-481.
Rienecke, R. (2019). Treatment dropout in a family-based partial hospitalization program for eating disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders, 24(1), 163-168.
Rienecke, R. & Ebeling, M. (2019). Desired weight and treatment outcome among adolescents in a novel family-based partial hospitalization program. Psychiatry Research, 273, 149-152.
Rosen, E. L., Thambundit, A., Mehler, P. S., & Mittelman, S. D. (2019). Central diabetes insipidus associated with refeeding in anorexia nervosa: a case report. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52(6), 752-756.
Schorr, M., Drabkin, A., Rothman, M. S., Meenaghan, E., Lashen, G. T., Mascolo, M., . . . Miller, K. K. (2019). Bone mineral density and estimated hip strength in men with anorexia nervosa, atypical anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Clinical Endocrinology, 90(6), 789-797.
Watson, H. J.Yilmaz, Z.Thornton, L. M.Hübel, C.Coleman, J. R. I.Gaspar, H., . . . Bulik, C. M. (2019). Genome-wide association study identifies eight risk loci and implicates metabo-psychiatric origins for anorexia nervosa. Nature Genetics, 51(8), 1207-1214.
Wassenaar, E., Friedman, J., & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Medical complications of binge eating disorder. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 42(2), 275-286.
Watts, J., Brennan, B., & Mehler, P. S. (2019). Medical complications of binge eating disorder. Current Women`s Health Reviews, 15(2), 119-122.
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2018
Accurso, E. C., Astrachan-Fletcher, E., O'Brien, S., McClanahan, S., & Le Grange, D. (2018). Adaptation and implementation of family-based treatment enhanced with dialectical behavior therapy skills for anorexia nervosa in community-based specialist clinics. Eating Disorders, 26(2), 149-163.
Astrachan-Fletcher, E., Accurso, E. C., Rossman, S., McClanahan, S., Dimitropoulos, G., & Le Grange, D. (2018). An exploratory study of challenges and successes in implementing adapted family-based treatment in a community setting. Journal of Eating Disorders, 6, 44.
Berona, J., Richmond, R., & Rienecke, R. (2018). Heterogeneous weight restoration trajectories during partial hospitalization treatment for anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(8), 914-920.
Easton, E., Manwaring, J., Salada, G., Hartman, G., Bermudez, O., & Johnson, C.L. (2016). Family in Residence Program: a family empowerment model for higher levels of care. In Murray, S. B., Anderson, L. K., and Cohn, L. (Eds.), Innovations in Family Therapy for Eating Disorders (pp. 187-201). New York: Routledge.
Gibson, D., Drabkin, A., Krantz, M. J., Mascolo, M., Rosen, E., Sachs, K. V., . . . Mehler, P. S. (2018). Critical gaps in the medical knowledge base of eating disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders, 23(4), 419-430.
Jenkins, P. E., Lebow, J., & Rienecke, R. (2018). Weight suppression as a predictor variable in the treatment of eating disorders: a systematic review. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 25(5-6), 297-306.
Le Grange, D., & Rienecke, R. (2018). Family therapy. In W. S. Agras and A. Robinson (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Eating Disorders, (2nd Edition) (pp. 319-333). New York: Oxford University Press.
Manwaring, J. L., Hilbert, A., Walden, K., Bishop, E. R., Jr., & Johnson, C. L. (2018). Validation of the acceptance and action questionnaire for weight-related difficulties in an eating disorder population. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 7, 1-7.
Mehler, P. S., Blalock, D. V., Walden, K., Kaur, S., McBride, J., Walsh, K., & Watts, J. (2018). Medical findings in 1,026 consecutive adult inpatient-residential eating disordered patients. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(4), 305-313.
Mizusaki, K., Gih, D., LaRosa, C., Richmond, R., & Rienecke, R. D. (2018). Psychotropic usage by patients presenting to an academic eating disorders program. Eating and Weight Disorders, 23, 769-774.
Rienecke, R. (2018). Parental marital satisfaction in a family-based partial hospitalization program. Eating Disorders, 26(2), 143-148.
Rienecke, R. D. (2018). Expressed emotion and eating disorders: An updated review. Current Psychiatry Reviews, 14, 84-98.
Rienecke, R. & Richmond, R. (2018). Three-month follow-up in a family-based partial hospitalization program. Eating Disorders, 26(3), 278-289.
Sadeh-Sharvit, S., Arnow, K. D., Osipov, L., Lock, J. D., Jo, B., Pajarito, S., Brandt, H., Dodge, E., Halmi, K. A., Johnson, C., Kaye, W., Wilfley, D., & Agras, W. S. (2018). Are parental self-efficacy and family flexibility mediators of treatment for anorexia nervosa? International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(3), 275-280.
Thornton, L. M., Munn-Chernoff, M. A., Baker, J. H., Jureus, A., Parker, R., Henders, A. K., . . . Bulik, C. M. (2018). The Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI): overview and methods. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 74, 61-69.
Walden, K., Manwaring, J. L., Blalock, D. V., Bishop, E. R., Jr., Duffy, A., & Johnson, C. L. (2018). Acceptance and psychological change at the higher levels of care: a naturalistic outcome study. Eating Disorders, 26(4), 311-325.
Wassenaar, E., O'Melia, A. M., & Mehler, P. S. (2018). A causality dilemma: ARFID, malnutrition, psychosis, and hypomagnesemia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51(9), 1113-1116.
Wassenaar, E., O'Melia, A. M., & Mehler, P. S. (2018). Gynecologic care for adolescents and young women with eating disorders. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 132(4), 1065-1066.
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2017
Beaty, L., Trees, N., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Recurrent persistent hypophosphatemia in a male-to-female transgender patient with anorexia nervosa: case report. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(5), 606-608.
Drabkin, A., Rothman, M. S., Wassenaar, E., Mascolo, M., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Assessment and clinical management of bone disease in adults with eating disorders: a review. Journal of Eating Disorders, 5, 42.
Graves, T. A., Tabri, N., Thompson-Brenner, H., Franko, D. L., Eddy, K. T., Bourion-Bedes, S., Brown, A., Constantino, M. J., Flückiger, C., Forsberg, S., Isserlin, L., Couturier, J., Karlsson, G. P., Mander, J., Teufel, M., Mitchell, J. E., Crosby, R. D., Prestano, C., Satir, D. A., Simpson, S., Sly, R., Lacey, J. H., Stiles-Shields, C., Tasca, G. A., Waller, G., Zaitsoff, S. L., Rienecke, R., Le Grange, D., & Thomas, J. J. (2017). A meta-analysis of the relation between therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome in eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(4), 323-340.
Kessel, B. & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Orthostatic hypotension and tachycardia in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa: a marker of illness severity. Eating Disorders Review, 29(4).
Koutsavlis, A., Forzley, E. M., Johnson, M., Oakley, M. A., Trees, N., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Practical methods for refeeding patients with anorexia nervosa. Integrative Food, Nutrition and Metabolism, 4(3), 1-5.
Laging, M. A., Brinton, J. T., Sabel, A. L., Gaudiani, J. L., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Baseline functional mobility in hospitalized persons with anorexia nervosa: a retrospective study of inpatient physical therapy during medical stabilization. Journal of Acute Care Physical Therapy, 8(1), 28-39.
Mascolo, M., Geer, B., Feuerstein, J., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Gastrointestinal comorbidities which complicate the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Eating Disorders, 25(2), 122-133.
Mehler, P. S., O'Melia, A. M., Brown, C., Gibson, D., Hollis, J., & Westmoreland, P. (2017). Medical complications of bulimia nervosa. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 78(12), 672-677
Rienecke, R. (2017). Family-based treatment of eating disorders in adolescents: current insights. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 8, 69-79.
Rienecke, R., Lebow, J., Lock, J. D., & Le Grange, D. (2017). Family profiles of expressed emotion in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa and their parents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 46(3), 428-436.
Rienecke, R. & Richmond, R. (2017). Psychopathology and expressed emotion in parents of patients with eating disorders: relation to patient symptom severity. Eating Disorders, 25(4), 318-329.
Rosen, E., Bakshi, N., Watters, A., Rosen, H. R., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Hepatic complications of anorexia nervosa. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 62(11), 2977–2981.
Rylander, M., Brinton, J. T., Sabel, A. L., Mehler, P. S., & Gaudiani, J. L. (2017). A comparison of the metabolic complications and hospital course of severe anorexia nervosa by binge-purge and restricting subtypes. Eating Disorders, 25(4), 345-357.
Westmoreland, P., Johnson, C. L., Stafford, M., Martinez, R., & Mehler, P. S. (2017). Involuntary treatment of patients with life-threatening anorexia nervosa. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 45(4), 419-425.
