Research Team

Dr. Wierenga is a Professor and Clinical Neuropsychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego. She is an expert in the neurobiology of eating disorders and is Director of the Research Program at the UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program, where she investigates cognitive, behavioral and brain mechanisms underlying symptom expression in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, utilizing neuropsychological, neuroimaging and computational neuroscience approaches, to guide development of neurobiologically-informed treatments. This has led to the co-development of Temperament Based Therapy with Support (TBT-S). She also leads a research program evaluating eating disorder treatment outcomes at higher level of care. As a CA licensed clinical psychologist she has been working with adolescents and adults with eating disorders for over a decade. She also teaches and supervises graduate students, interns, and postdoctoral fellows. She has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIMH, NIDDK), National Eating Disorders Association, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and has served in leadership roles across multiple organizations, including the Academy of Eating Disorders.

Dr. Frank is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. He earned his medical degree at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany. He trained in psychosomatics at the Center for Behavioral Health Klinik Roseneck, Prien, Germany, and then received clinical and research training at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh, and the University of California San Diego, USA. He holds an appointment as professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Frank has done extensive post-graduate work on the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders and has also received extensive certified training in cognitive behavioral and other psychotherapies. He is an expert consultant to local and national law firms. He has received multiple awards, including an NIH Minority Access to Research Career Program (NIMH) Mentor Recognition award and the Eating Disorder Foundation Greg Hueni Memorial Award for excellence in research. Dr. Frank’s work involves human neuroimaging and tasks that are based on animal research with the goal of identifying specific neurotransmitter receptor systems that are relevant for eating disorder behaviors. Dr. Frank has been funded through the National Institute of Mental Health and multiple private foundation grants for the past fifteen years. His overarching goal is to develop translational research designs that bridge clinical presentation with neuroscience to develop more effective treatments for eating disorders to develop preventative measures, improve recovery and prevent relapse.

Dr. Bischoff-Grethe is an Adjunct Professor in the department of Psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. in Computer Science with a focus upon Computational Neurobiology from the University of Southern California. She is particularly interested in the brain's response to reward and punishment and how it relates to cognitive processing. Her research focuses upon brain function in adolescents and adults with eating disorders using functional MRI, DTI, and other morphometric methods.

Dr. Makowski is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UC San Diego. She earned her BSc in Psychology and PhD in Neuroscience from McGill University, and completed her postdoctoral training in UCSD’s Department of Radiology. Her research bridges multiple scales of neuroscience to better understand the development of adolescent psychiatric disorders. She has a vested interest in identifying neurobiologically-informed predictive markers of eating disorders (e.g., through integration of multimodal MRI, genetics, and temperament) to meaningfully improve treatments for patients. Dr. Makowski's research has been supported by the National Institutes of Mental Health, the Brain Behavior Foundation, the Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, and by Canadian federal (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) and provincial (Fonds de Recherche du Quebec- Santé) funding mechanisms. Dr. Makowski is also an investigator within the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study Consortium. When she’s not wrangling big data, you can find her running along the coastline, dancing, or getting lost in a good book.

Dr. Anna Karam Jones is a staff psychologist at the UC San Diego Health’s (UCSDH) Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research (EDC). Dr. Karam Jones received her Bachelor’s in Psychology and Women’s and Gender Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Her predoctoral clinical internship was comprised of rotations at Rady Children’s Hospital’s Medical Behavioral Unit (i.e., an inpatient unit for the medical stabilization of eating disorders) as well as the EDC, where she worked in both the adolescent and adult clinics. Dr. Karam Jones has received broad and comprehensive training in the evidence-based treatment of psychological disorders including eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders, with an emphasis in the areas of eating and weight-related disorders. Her research interests include examining predictors, moderators, and mediators/mechanisms of evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, as well as the best methods for dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments for eating disorders, with the ultimate goal to enhance and increase access to eating disorder care. Dr. Karam Jones is passionate about combining her research and clinical interests in the area of eating disorders, and she loves getting to do just that at UCSDH EDC!

Megan is a research coordinator at the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, Anthropology, and a certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Pittsburgh in 2015. Megan went on to earn her Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University in 2023. Prior to joining the EDC, she worked in various research labs at the University of Pittsburgh focusing on depression, autism spectrum, trauma, personality disorders, and eating disorders. Megan is passionate about eating disorder research and contributing to a better understanding of eating disorders and treatment. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors and with her family.

Audrey joined the UCSD EDC as a research coordinator in 2020, after graduating from the University of California, San Diego in Clinical Psychology and volunteering at the EDC as a student research assistant. As a coordinator, Audrey helps with recruitment and data collection for the center's research studies that investigate the outcomes of treatment on its patients. She also recruits and manages the research team's student volunteers. Outside of work, Audrey likes spending her free time playing beach volleyball and baking.

Megan received her Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Colorado Denver. She is currently the lab manager for Dr. Guido Frank’s research lab and has been working with his lab for the last 15 years. Along with managing the day-to-day procedures of the lab, Megan also assists in MRI data analysis and is particularly interested in structural brain imaging processes.

Skylar (they/them) is a Staff Research Associate in Dr. Guido Frank’s laboratory. As a Research Associate, they coordinate several clinical neuroscience studies using fMRI and EEG technology. They received their Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mississippi State University. At MSU, they began working under Dr. Jarrod Moss and Dr. Stephanie Doane, assisting with cognitive neuroscience research using fMRI. Skylar went on to work clinically as a Case Manager and a Crisis Interventionist as well as continue neuroscience research work at Washington University in St. Louis. They began working at a residential and outpatient eating disorder program for adults when they moved to California and have been motivated to further their knowledge in the ED field by working at the EDC.

Miki received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from University of California, San Diego. Combining her interests in cognitive neuropsychology with her experience in computer science, she is currently working as a research associate for the neuroimaging studies conducted at the UCSD Eating Disorders Treatment and Research Center. As a member of the research team, she assists in fMRI data analysis that examines the neurobiology of eating disorders. She is particularly interested in effects of long-term illness on brain functions and has previously worked for neuroimaging studies in HIV, substance abuse, and child development.

Sophie is a PhD candidate in Clinical Psychology in Dr. Thomas Joiner's laboratory at Florida State University, and joined the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center as a staff research associate in 2024. She previously completed her B.A. in Behavioral Neuroscience and Anthropology from the University of San Diego in 2019 and her M.S. in Psychology from Drexel University in 2021. Sophie's research focuses on the intersection between eating disorders and gastrointestinal symptoms, underlying neurobiological mechanisms of eating disorders, and diagnosis and classification. In her free time, she enjoys running, gardening, going to the beach, and spending time with her cat.

Katie joined the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center as a staff research associate in 2023. Since graduating from Arizona State University in 2017 with her Bachelor of Science degree, she has worked in nutritional behavior research at UNC-Chapel Hill, and then as a therapeutic assistant and supervisor at Veritas Collaborative. Katie is passionate about her current role, where she can combine her interests and skills in both neuroimaging research and clinical treatment settings to support the center’s mission of improving the lives of our patients via evidence-based treatment. Outside of work, Katie enjoys crocheting, riding her bicycle, and exploring San Diego and beyond with her dog.