Last Updated: 12/15/2008

Clinical Interests
Dr. Bulik is the Director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program which is a comprehensive multidisciplinary inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient program. She also has an active program in applying technology (internet, text messaging) to the treatment of obesity and eating disorders in both youth and adults.

Research Interests
Dr. Cynthia Bulik is the William R. and Jeanne H. Jordan Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she is also Professor of Nutrition in the School of Public Health and the Director of the UNC Eating Disorders Program. A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Bulik has been conducting research and treating individuals with eating disorders for the past 24 years. Her research has included treatment, laboratory, epidemiological, twin and molecular genetic studies of eating disorders and body weight regulation. More recently she has begun to explore innovative means of integrating technology into treatment for eating disorders and obesity in order to broaden the public health reach of our interventions. She has active research collaborations throughout the United States as well as in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Austria, and Germany. Dr. Bulik has written over 300 scientific papers and chapters on eating disorders and is author of the books Eating Disorders: Detection and Treatment (Dunmore) and Runaway Eating: The 8 Point Plan to Conquer Adult Food and Weight Obsessions (Rodale) and the CD-ROM EMPOWER Solution for Healthy Weight Control (www.empower-plan.com) and a soon to be released book Crave: Why You Binge Eat and How to Stop (Walker/Bloomsbury). She is a past president of the Academy for Eating Disorders, past Vice-President of the Eating Disorders Coalition and Associate Editor of the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Dr. Bulik holds the first endowed professorship in eating disorders nationwide.

Recent Accomplishments and Honors
Eating Disorders Coalition Research Award (2005)
Hulka Innovators Award (2005)
Academy for Eating Disorders Leadership Award for Research (2006)
Carolina Women's Center Women's Advocacy Award (2006)
Price Family National Eating Disorders Award for Excellence in Research (2008)

Training
University of Notre Dame, BA
University of California at Berkeley, MA PhD
Post-doctoral fellowships: University of Pittsburgh, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

Publications
Selected publications 2007-2008

Pope, H.G., Lalonde, J.K., Pindyck, L.J., Walsh, B.T., Bulik, C.M., Crow, S.J., McElroy, S.L., Rosenthal, N.R., Hudson, J.I., (2006) Binge eating disorder: A stable syndrome. American Journal of Psychiatry, 163, 2181-3.

Bulik, C.M., Slof -Op't Landt, M.C.T., van Furth, E.F., Sullivan, P.F. (2007) The genetics of anorexia nervosa. Annual Review of Nutrition, 27, 263-275.

Fernandez-Aranda, F., Pinheiro, A.P., Tozzi, F., Thornton, L.M., Fichter, M.M. Halmi, K.A., Kaplan, A.S., Klump, K.L., Strober, M., Woodside, D.B., Crow, S., Mitchell, J., Rotondo, A., Keel, P., Plotnicov, K.H., Pollice, C., Lilenfeld, L.R., Berrettini, W.H., Kaye, W.H., Bulik, C.B. (2007) Symptom profile and temporal relation of major depressive disorder in females with eating disorders. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 41, 24-31.

Striegel-Moore, R.H., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Risk factors for eating disorders. American Psychologist, 62, 181-198.

Wade, T.D., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Shared genetic and environmental risk factors between undue influence of body shape and weight on self-evaluation and dimensions of perfectionism. Psychological Medicine, 37,635-44

Bulik, C.M., Berkman, N.D., Brownley, K.A., Sedway, J.A., Lohr, K.N. (2007) Anorexia nervosa treatment: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 310-320.

Brownley, K.A., Berkman, N.D., Sedway, J.A., Lohr, K.N., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Binge eating disorder treatment: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 337-348.

Shapiro, J.R., Brownley, K.A., Berkman, N.D., Sedway, J.A., Lohr, K.N., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Bulimia nervosa treatment: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 321-336.

Berkman, N.D., Brownley, K.A., Sedway, J.A., Lohr, K.N., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Eating disorders outcomes: A systematic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 293-309.

Guo, G., North, K., Gorden-Larsen, P., Bulik, C.M., Choi, S. (2007) Body mass associated with the DRD4 gene, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and family SES: the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Obesity Research, 15, 1199-206.

Keski-Rahkonen, A., Linna, M., Hoek, H.W., Bulik, C.M., Sihvola, E., Raevuori, A., Kaprio, J., Susser, E., Rissanen, A. (2007) The natural course of anorexia nervosa in a population cohort of young adult women. American Journal of Psychiatry, 164, 1259-1265.

Shapiro, J.R., Reba-Harrelson, L., Dymek-Valentine, M., Woolson, S.L., Hamer, R.M., Bulik, C.M. (2007) CD-ROM treatment for binge eating disorder: A pilot study. European Eating Disorders Review, 15, 175-184.

Bulik, C.M., Von Holle, A., Hamer, R., Knopf Bergh, C., Torgersen, L., Magnus, P., Stoltenberg, C., Siega-Riz, A.M., Sullivan, P.F, Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2007) Patterns of remission, continuation, and incidence of eating disorders during pregnancy in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Psychological Medicine, 37, 1109-1118.

Pinheiro, A., Thornton, L. Plotonicov, , K.H., Tozzi, T., Klump, K.L., Berrettini, W.H., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Crow, S., Fichter, M.M., Goldman, D., Halmi, K.A., Johnson, C., Kaplan, A.S., Keel, P., LaVia, M., Mitchell, J., Rotondo, A., Strober, M., Treasure, J., Woodside, D.B., Kaye, W.K., Bulik, C.M. (2007) Patterns of menstrual disturbance in eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, 424-434.

Bulik, C.M., Hebebrand, J., Keski-Rahkonen, A., Klump, K.L., Mazzeo, S.E., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Wade, T.D. (2007) Genetic epidemiology, endophenotypes, and eating disorder classification. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40, S52-S60.

Zucker, N., Pelphrey, K., Bulik, C.M., Losh, M., Piven, J. (2007) Anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorders: Guided inquiry into social cognitive endophenotypes. Psychological Bulletin, 133, 976-1006.

Mitchell, K.S., Mazzeo, S. E., Aggen, S. H., Maes, H.H., Kendler, K. S., Neale, M.C., & Bulik, C. M. (2008). Characteristics of monozygotic male and female twins discordant for overweight: A descriptive study. Eating Behaviors, 9, 366-369.
Crisafulli, M., Von Holle, A., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Attitudes towards anorexia nervosa: The impact of framing on blame and stigma. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41, 333-9.

Raney, T.J., Thornton, L., Berrettini, W.H., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Fichter, M.M., Halmi, K.A., Johnson, C., Kaplan, A.S., LaVia, M., Mitchell, J., Rotondo, A, Strober, M., Woodside, D.B., Kaye, W.H., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Anorexia nervosa and childhood anxiety disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41, 326-32.

Von Holle, A., Thornton, L.M., Klump, K.L., Berrettini, W.H., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Crow, S., Fichter, M.M., Goldman, D., Halmi, K.A., Johnson, C., Kaplan, A.S., Keel, P., LaVia, M., Mitchell, J., Rotondo, A, Strober, M., Treasure, J., Woodside, D.B. , Kaye, W.H., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Temporal patterns of recovery across eating disorder subtypes. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42, 108-117.

Kaye, W.H., Bulik, C.M., Plotnicov, K., Thornton, L., Devlin, B., Fichter, M., Treasure, J., Kaplan, A., Woodside, D., Johnson, C., Halmi, K., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Mitchell, J., Strober, M., Berrettini, W., Jones, I. (2008) The Genetics of Anorexia Nervosa (GAN) Collaborative Study: Methods and sample description. International Journal of Eating Disorders 41, 289-300.

Furberg H, Lichtenstein P, Pedersen NL, Bulik C, Lerman C, Sullivan PF. (2008) Snus use and other correlates of smoking cessation in the Swedish Twin Registry. Psychological Medicine, 38, 1299-1308.
Bulik, C.M., Thornton, L., Pinheiro, A.P., Klump, K.L., Brandt, H., Crawford, S., Fichter, M.M., Halmi, K.A., Johnson, C., Kaplan, A.S., Mitchell, J., Strober, M., Woodside, D.B., Berrettini, W.H., Kaye., W.H. (2008) Suicide attempts in anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 378-83.

Siega-Riz, A.M., Haugen, M., Meltzer. H.M., Von Holle, A., Hamer. R., Torgersen, L., Knopf-Berg, C., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Nutrient and food group intakes of women with and without bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder during pregnancy. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 87, 1346-55.

Knopf-Bergh, C., Torgersen, L., Von Holle, A., Hamer, R., Siega-Riz, A.M., Sullivan, P.F. Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Bulik, C.M., (2008) Psychosocial factors associated with broadly defined bulimia nervosa during early pregnancy: findings from the Norwegian mother and child cohort study. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42, 396-404.

Carter, F.A., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Childhood obesity prevention programs: how do they affect eating pathology and other psychological measures? Psychosomatic Medicine, 70, 363-371.

Mazzeo, S.E., Karen S. Mitchell, K.S., Bulik, C.M., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Kendler, K., Neale, M.C. (2008) Assessing the heritability of anorexia nervosa symptoms using a marginal maximal likelihood approach. Psychological Medicine, 19, 1-11.

Konneker, T., Barnes, T., Furberg, H., Losh, M., Bulik, C.M., Sullivan, P.F. (2008) A searchable database of genetic evidence for psychiatric disorders. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics), 5, 671-675.

Bulik, C.M., Von Holle, A., Gendall, K., Lie, K.K., Hoffman, E., Mo, X., Torgersen, L., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T (2008) Maternal eating disorders influence sex ratio at birth. Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 87, 979-81.

Torgersen, L., Von Holle, A., Knopf Bergh, C., Hamer, R., Siega-Riz, A.M., Sullivan, P.F. Reichborn-Kjennerud, T., Bulik, C.M., (2008) Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in women with bulimia nervosa and EDNOS. International Journal of Eating Disorders. [Epub]

Keski-Rahkonen, A., Hoek, H.W., Susser, E., Linna, M., Sihvola, E., Raevuori, A., Bulik, C.M., Kaprio, J., Rissanen, A. (2008) Incidence and outcomes of bulimia nervosa: A nationwide population-based study. Psychological Medicine. [Epub]

Shapiro, J.R., Bauer, S., Hamer, R.M., Kordy, H., Ward, D., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Text messaging to increase healthy eating and physical activity in children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 40, 385-91.
Shapiro, J.R., Pisetsky, E., Crenshaw, W., Hamer, R.M., Dymek-Valentine, M., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Exploratory study to decrease postprandial anxiety: Just relax! International Journal of Eating Disorders, 41, 728-733.

Kas, M.J.H., Kaye, W.H., Mathes, W.F., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Interspecies genetics of eating disorders traits. American Journal of Medical Genetics (Neuropsychiatric Genetics). [Epub]

Furberg H, Lichtenstein P, Pedersen NL, Thornton LT, Bulik CM, Lerman C, Sullivan PF. (2008 The STAGE Cohort: A prospective study of tobacco use among Swedish twins. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 10,1727-1735.

Carter, F.A., McIntosh, V.V., Joyce, P.R., Bulik, C.M. (2008) Weight suppression predicts weight gain over treatment but not treatment completion or outcome in bulimia nervosa. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111, 936-940.

Bulik, C.M., Von Holle, A., Siega-Riz, A.M., Torgersen, L., Kviem Lie, K., Hamer. R.M., Knopf-Berg, C., Sullivan, P.F., Reichborn-Kjennerud, T. (2008) Birth outcomes in women with eating disorders in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). International Journal of Eating Disorders. [Epub]

Mazzeo, S.E., Bulik, C.M. (2009) Environmental and genetic risk factors for eating disorders: what the clinician needs to know? Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America,18,67-82.

E-mail: cbulik@med.unc.edu
Telephone: 919-843-1689
FAX: 919-966-5628
Address: 1st Floor Neuroscience Hospital, Room 10505, Chapel Hill, NC 2799-7160

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