Body Image and Eating Disorders Academic Network

Our goal at BEAN is to bring together researchers and stakeholders in the co-design of eating disorder and body image research. We believe that reducing the burden of these conditions requires collaboration across stakeholders and disciplines, and with real-world translation being a central focus. To achieve this we employ "bench-to-bedside" methodologies including those under the broad banners of animal research, neuroscience, experimental psychology, registry-based science, epidemiological research, program evaluation, psychometrics, and clinical intervention trials.   

BEAN Members

UTS Academic Staff

• Deb Mitchison (co-director), Graduate School of Health (Psychology). Interests: health services research, epidemiology, body image, body dysmorphia, disordered eating, registry science.
• Amy Burton (co-director), Graduate School of Health (Psychology)
• Laura Bradfield, School of Life Sciences. Interests: compulsive behaviour, animal models, neuroinflammation
• Mike Kendig, School of Life Sciences. Interests: ultra-processed foods, binge eating, compulsive behaviour, animal models, neuroinflammation
• Oscar Lederman, School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation
• Liquan Liu, Graduate School of Health (Psychology). Interests: LGBTQ+ population, cross-cultural factors, developmental factors    
• Toby Newton-John, Graduate School of Health (Head of School)
• Katarina Prnjak, Graduate School of Health (Psychology)
• Simone Rehn, School of Life Sciences. Interests: ultra-processed foods, binge eating, compulsive behaviour, animal models, neuroinflammation
• Kris Rogers, School of Public Health and Graduate School of Health. Interests: biostatistics, clinical trials, linked health data
• Dean Spirou, Graduate School of Health (Psychology)
• Aaron Veldre, Graduate School of Health (Psychology). Interests: cognitive flexibility, eye tracking, anorexia nervosa
• Poppy Watson, Graduate School of Health (Psychology) 

UTS Honorary Members

• Chris Basten, clinical psychologist and Director (Basten & Associates Clinical Psychologists)
• Lisa Dawson, clinical psychologist and Program Lead (Sydney Childrens Hospital Network Eating Disorder Service)
• Sinead Day, clinical psychologist and PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University)
• Scott Fatt, clinical psychologist and PhD Candidate (Western Sydney University)
• Mandy Goldstein, clinical psychologist and Director (everyBody Psychology & Wellbeing)
• Ammani Hatoum, clinical psychologist and PhD Candidate (University of Sydney)
• Ranjani Utpala, clinical psychologist and Director (Lotus Psychology & Consulting)
• Andrew Wallis, senior social worker and Team Lead (Sydney Children's Hospital Network Eating Disorder Service)

HDR Members

• Colleen Alford. Understanding and addressing the specific needs of parents/carers of autistic children and adolescents with eating disorders: A parent-based adjunct to standard child and adolescent eating disorder treatment. (Supervisors: Deb Mitchison, UTS; Andrew Wallis, Sydney Children's Hospital Network Eating Disorder Service; Phillipa Hay, Western Sydney University). 
• Sophie Berry. Prevention of Eating Disorders in Schools. (Supervisors: Amy Burton, UTS; David Berle, Australian National University; Deb Mitchison, UTS).
• Maedeh Mahmoudi. Orbitofrontal cortical and hippocampal astrocytes in flexible decision-making: A mechanism of compulsivity. (Supervisor: Laura Bradfield, UTS).
• Sinead Day. A clinical evaluation of residential treatment for eating disorders and the impact of trauma on treatment outcomes. (Supervisors: Deb Mitchison, UTS; Phillipa Hay and Kathy Tannous, Western Sydney University).
• Scott Fatt. Understanding disordered eating, body image, and eating disorders in athletes. (Supervisors: Deb Mitchison, UTS; Emma George and Phillipa Hay, Western Sydney University).

Current Projects

TrEAT Registry

The Australia and New Zealand Clinical Quality Registry for the Treatment of Eating Disorders (TrEAT Registry) supports clinical outcomes monitoring and reporting for people receiving eating disorders treatment. Partnering services including private and public outpatient, day program, and residential eating disorder treatment centres in Australia and New Zealand. The registry supports clinical outcome monitoring for clients and clinicians. Researchers use the registry data to answer questions about eating disorder phenomenology and treatment. Australian Register of Clinical Registries ID: ACSQHC-ARCR-279. For more information contact Deb Mitchison.

Getting into a Good Headspace: Trial of an Eating Disorder Prevention Program within an Australian Youth Mental Health Service

This project aims to assess the efficacy and feasibility of embedding an evidence-based eating disorder prevention group within an existing youth mental health service, headspace Camperdown. This is a clinical-researcher collaborative project led by Dr Amy Burton at the University of Technology Sydney in collaboration with fellow UTS  researchers Sophie Berry and Amaani Hatoum and with headspace-based clinician-researchers Blake Hamilton and his team.  For more information, contact Amy Burton.

Neurocognitive Effects of Binge Eating in Adolescence 

Binge eating disorder is a prevalent, debilitating eating disorder that commonly emerges in late adolescence, a critical period for brain maturation. Our work uses animal models to study how binge eating high-fat, high-sugar foods in adolescence alters cognition and neuroinflammation in adulthood. Of particular interest is how a history of binge eating alters the motivation to work for food reward and susceptibility to the effects of cues that distract attention. This project is being conducted by Mike Kendig, Laura Bradfield and Simone Rehn. For more information, contact Mike Kendig.

Tharawal Holistic Indigenist Metabolic Clinic: A Replicability and Adaptability Study to Improve Metabolic Health in Aboriginal Clients of an Aboriginal Medical Service

The project aims is to evaluate the health and social outcomes, replicability and implementation, acceptability, and cost effectiveness of the adaptation of an effective mainstream metabolic service as a satellite metabolic rehabilitation program at Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service. This research is funded by an NHMRC Translational Research Grants Scheme. For more information, contact Dean Spirou.

Assessing Cognitive Flexibility in Anorexia Nervosa Using Eye Tracking

This project aims to explore the relationship between cognitive flexibility and issues related to flexibility in everyday life for individuals with eating disorders. The study uses eye-tracking technology to compare the saccadic (eye movement) and manual responses of participants with anorexia nervosa in a cognitive flexibility task. The project is led by Dr. Kelly Dann at The University of Sydney, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (Aaron Veldre), the InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders, and Western Sydney University. For more information, please contact Aaron Veldre.

ScreenED: Detecting Eating Disorder Risk in Children

This is a clinical-researcher collaborative project led by Dr Laura Hart at University of Melbourne, and in collaboration with researchers at University of Technology Sydney (Katarina Prnjak, Deb Mitchison), Western Sydney University, and Flinders University, and clinical partners at health services in VIC, NSW, QLD and SA. The project is funded by an MRFF Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant (2023-2025) and seeks to develop the first screening tool validated to detect children aged 5-12 years at risk for an eating disorder. For more information contact Katarina Prnjak.

Evaluation of an Early Intervention Clinic for Eating Disorders within a Headspace Centre

In collaboration with industry partners from headspace Camperdown and the InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders at the University of Sydney, this project seeks to provide an evaluation of the 'Eating Disorders Mini-Clinic' being embedded within headspace Camperdown to offer early intervention for eating disorders. For more information, contact Amy Burton.

Next Steps: Evaluation of a Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program for Eating Disorders

This is an evaluation of a nation-wide virtual day program, run and funded (2024-2026) by the Butterfly Foundation, for people with eating disorders who have recently been discharged from hospital or a residential treatment program. It aims to meet needs for those who require more intensive care, especially those not living in metropolitan areas where there is less access to face-to-face eating disorder specialist services. The evaluation is being led by Deb Mitchison and Clinical Psychology Masters student, Amarnie Mohammed. For more information contact Deb Mitchison.

Addressing Body Image Concerns in Postpartum Women

This is a collaborative project led by Dr Megan Lee at Bond University, and in collaboration with researchers at University of Technology Sydney, Monash and the University of Queensland. This project seeks to develop and evaluate a comprehensive body image intervention suitable for postpartum women. For more information, contact Amy Burton.

Understanding and Addressing Body Image Concerns across the Gender Spectrum

This project seeks to better understand body image ideals and body image concerns amongst gender diverse individuals and young people of all genders. This valuable information will inform the development and subsequent evaluation of a comprehensive body image intervention suitable for young people of all genders including gender diverse and gender non-conforming individuals. This project is led by Dr Amy Burton at UTS in collaboration with fellow UTS  researchers Katarina Prnjak, Natasha Tracy, Sophie Berry and Amaani Hatoum and with headspace-based clinician-researchers Blake Hamilton and his team. For more information, contact Amy Burton.