King's College London

ESTRA aims to investigate the aetiology and underpinning mechanisms of eating disorders, including the underlying bio-psycho-social mechanistic and environmental drivers, in children, adolescents and young adults.

It builds on IMAGEN, the largest and most comprehensive longitudinal functional and structural neuroimaging genetics study in adolescents to date, generating additional synergy with the recruitment of patients with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Complementing recruitment and assessments of patients with Major Depressive Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder and Psychosis from the STRATIFY project, ESTRA will give us an opportunity to identify early risk factors, investigate comorbidity and core psychopathology across EDs and inform future prevention and treatment strategies. 

Professor Sylvane Desrivères is one of seven researchers, based at five UK universities to have received funding by  the Medical Research Foundation and the Medical Research Council for new research into eating disorders (EDs) and self-harm. 

This project is a collaboration with Professor Ulrike Schmidt, Consultant Psychiatrist in eating disorders at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor Gunter Schumann, PONS, Director and coordinator of the multi-centre IMAGEN project.