Eating disorders are shaped by a complex interaction of genetics and the environment. Research has shown that accurate communication of genetic information within a compassionate therapeutic environment can empower individuals and relieve feelings of shame, guilt, and anxiety. However, those with mental health conditions often hold great misunderstandings regarding the contribution of genetics to psychiatric ill health.

In this Masterclass, Helena Davies will discuss what we know so far about the contribution of genetics to eating disorders, address common misunderstandings and concerns regarding psychiatric genetics, and explore the ways in which this information could be usefully communicated to patients with eating disorders.

Jenny Jordan will describe experiences and developments in the Australasian collaboration of genetic research over the past 10 years, including what has been involved in participating in the Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative (EDGI) study, including recruitment, experiences interacting with participants and the current EDGI2 study including the phenotypic survey and saliva collection.

PRESENTERS:
Dr Helena Davies is a postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatric genetics based at the Psychiatric Center Ballerup, Copenhagen. Her work investigates the genetic basis of eating disorder symptoms and their links to both physical and mental health outcomes. Helena also co-chairs the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium’s Outreach Committee, where she works to make psychiatric genetics research more accessible, transparent, and understandable to diverse audiences.


Jenny Jordan is an Associate Professor and clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. She continues to work on a range of research projects for eating disorders and other significant mental health problems, including comparative psychotherapy trials, and translational research. For the past 10 years, Jenny has been a co-lead for the New Zealand subsite with Professor Martin Kennedy, working closely with our Australian colleagues on three international consortia genetics studies. The current eating disorders genetics initiative (EDGI) study focusses on recruiting people with a lifetime history of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Workshop Pricing:
ANZAED Members - $85 | Non Members - $100

This workshop will be held online. A Zoom link will be sent to your email 24 hours prior to the Workshop.
To register, ANZAED members please log in to your account. For all non-members, please create a new account.