By JESSICA BAKER
Published: July 16, 2013

I posted a blog almost exactly two months ago to announce the launch of our Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) research study. Our research team has been surprised by the remarkable response we have had to our study, which is why I’m writing this blog… even though it’s only been two months since our launch! After the soft announcement that ANGI was going to start recruiting, several important and popular eating disorder blogs posted about ANGI, including edbites.com, science of eds , and the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). After the postings on each of these blogs, we received an amazing response from individuals who were interested in participating in our study. What I have found most intriguing in talking to these individuals is the specific interest in the genetic underpinnings of anorexia nervosa (AN). There is excitement around the fact that our mission is to detect the specific genetic factors involved in risk for AN. We are hearing participants say, ‘if my contribution can stop one person from suffering from AN, I’m dedicated to being involved in this research.’

Well, the ANGI Team and I wanted to express a big THANK YOU to everyone who has been involved in our study thus far, whether it be through participating in the study or passing on the word. We could not do it without all of you! Now for an update on the numbers.  As of the writing of this blog, we have had 191 individuals agree to participate in ANGI and 55 people have completed their participation. This is an incredible start and we are way ahead of schedule for the numbers we projected over the 4-years of ANGI data collection. We are definitely on the fast track to becoming a valuable resource to help decode the genetics of AN! We are deeply grateful for your interest and participation. Please continue to browse our blog for further updates on the status of ANGI.