By JESSICA BAKER, PhD
Published: February 24, 2015

This blog post is long overdue. Since last year, CEED has welcomed five new, full-time colleagues into our program. I want to take this opportunity to introduce our new friends and colleagues!

Melissa Munn-Chernoff, PhD: Melissa is our most recent addition to CEED (just joining us this week!) as a Research Assistant Professor. She received her Master’s Degree from Washington University in St. Louis in Psychiatric Epidemiology and her PhD in Behavioral Genetics from the University of Colorado. She recently completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Genetic Epidemiology at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research focuses on examining the genetic overlap between eating disorder-related traits and substance use. Currently Melissa is working on understanding risks that contribute to the co-occurrence of binge eating and alcohol use disorder. When she isn’t working, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, reading, cooking, and being outdoors.

Andrew Hardaway, PhD: Andrew joined CEED in Spring of 2014 as a postdoctoral fellow. He received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. His graduate work focused on revealing novel genes that regulate dopamine signaling and locomotor behaviorsusing genomic approaches. Currently, Andrew is investigating opioid contributions to binge eating and working on constructing valid animal models of binge eating disorder. In his free time, Andrew likes to brew his own beer, read about brewing beer, and, occasionally, drink that beer.

Meg Harney, PhD: Dr. Harney joined CEED in Fall 2014 as a Clinical Assistant Professor. She isn’t a total newbie to our center, having received her PhD from UNC and completing some of her graduate training at CEED. Her graduate work focused on maladaptive thinking styles associated with eating disorders and body dissatisfaction with an emphasis on set shifting and perfectionism. Currently Dr. Harney is a full-time clinician in our treatment program, seeing patients in the Partial Hospitalization Program, Outpatient Clinic, and UCAN Study. Her clinical areas of expertise include individual and group therapy for the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Outside of work, Dr. Harney enjoys exploring the great outdoors, training her dog to behave like a gentleman, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Kate Kirby MS, RDN, CSSD: Kate joined CEED in 2014 as a Clinical Instructor. She is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist at CEED. She is also a board certified specialist in sports nutrition. She attended Auburn University where she received her Master’s degree in 2012. Kate completed her dietetic internship at University of Alabama at Birmingham. She currently works with patients in CEED’s outpatient program. Outside of work, Kate enjoys yoga, the beach, and trying new things.

Elisa Klein, MSW, MPH, LCSWA: Elisa joined CEED just a few weeks ago as a Clinical Instructor. She graduated from Boston University’s dual degree program in social work and public health. Elisa will work mostly with our Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) research study, spearheading recruitmentefforts. Elisa’s previous experience is in substance abuse and HIV/AIDS. When Elisa isn’t wrangling her two school-aged children, she loves reading fiction and traveling.

Camden Elliott Matherne, PhD: Camden joined CEED in Fall 2014 as a postdoctoral research associate and coordinates our Uniting Couples in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa (UCAN) study. She received her PhD from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Her graduate work focused on exploring eating behaviors that contribute to obesity during childhood and adolescence and developing novel intervention approaches. Currently Camden is working with UNC’s pediatrics department to screen binge eating in a pediatrics clinic setting, as a means of improving access to care and informing intervention options. Camden is also a trained clinician and enjoys conducting individual and couples therapy for clinical and clinical research purposes at CEED.

Morgan Walker: Morgan joined CEED in Fall 2014 as a research assistant and works primarily with our Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative (ANGI) research study. Prior to joining the team as a research assistant, Morgan attended UNC and was an undergraduate research volunteer in CEED. She also completed her Honor’s thesis with us, which explored the associations between Facebook use and disordered eating in college women. Morgan graduated with Honors from UNC in May of 2014 with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Hispanic Studies. In her free time, Morgan enjoys teaching competitive dance and cycling classes, practicing yoga, drinking coffee on her porch, and reading Harry Potter.

photo credit: Triangle and Oval Hand Embroidered Welcome Sign via Creative Commons