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Largest ever study of eating disorders launches in England

27th February 2020
Posted by Aston Avery

Researchers at King’s College London have launched the largest ever study into eating disorders. Partnering with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) BioResource  and the eating disorder charity Beat, they aim to recruit at least 10,000 people in England who have experienced an eating disorder at some point in their life to a pioneering new study that aims to unlock the secrets of eating disorders.

The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) will help researchers better understand these conditions and enable the design of new treatments aimed at improving the lives of patients. EDGI will facilitate the discovery of new genetic and environmental risk factors and by creating a ‘bank’ of potential study participants who agree to be recontacted for further research, will speed up the pace of research into the most under-researched set of psychiatric disorders.

EDGI, funded in England by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) BioResource. The NIHR BioResource is a national resource of (currently) over 150,000 people – with and without health problems – who are willing to be approached to participate in research studies investigating the link between genes, the environment and health and disease. It is based at centres around England and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research.

Aston spoke to Professor Gerome Breen, geneticist and study lead from NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London and Beat Ambassador Shanel Cuthbert to discuss the research in further detail.