Dr Steph Miles (she/her)

Congratulations to Orygen's Dr @stephmiles.bsky.social, who won the Best Research Presentation prize at this year's ANZAED conference, and to Senior Research Fellows Dr Isabel Zbukvic and Dr Katrina Witt on representing UniMelb at @science.org.au's Science at the Shine Dome event!

An array of 9 purple discs on a blue background. Figure from Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt.

A nice shift in perceived colour between central and peripheral vision. The fixated disc looks purple while the others look blue.

The effect presumably comes from the absence of S-cones in the fovea.

From Hinnerk Schulz-Hildebrandt:
arxiv.org/pdf/2509.115...

Very excited to share that I’ve been awarded a grant to investigate body image processing in #AnorexiaNervosa using eyetracking.

Black cat on a blue couch, covered in a pink blanket. A laptop is open in front of her.

Reviewer 2, about to recommend that you cite six of her papers (unrelated to your study)

Perfectionism, and divergent and flexible thinking in anorexia nervosa Perfectionism and flexible thinking are frequently reported as impaired in anorexia nervosa (AN), however, the role of perfectionism and cognitive flexibility in eating disorder (ED) symptoms is un...

I am very happy to share a new paper that I have co-first authored with my colleague Kaitlyn Crocker. In this study, we explored the relationship between cognitive flexibility, divergent thinking, perfectionism, and #EatingDisorder symptoms.

doi.org/10.1080/1064...

I’m excited to be introducing Winston and my PhD passion project to the world of eating disorders researchers, clinicians, and advocates today at the ANZAED 2025 conference! #anzaed2025 #cognitiveassessment #eatingdisorders #phdlife

We could be one step closer to a new treatment for anorexia following promising results from a brain stimulation trial.

Learn more: bit.ly/3HXUzRb

A flyer describing the research study. Researchers at The University of Melbourne and Orygen are seeking people to take part in 2x 2-hour online focus groups which discuss the factors that play a role in the development, maintenance, and recovery from eating disorders. We are seeking: • People aged 12 or older with a lived experience of a past/current eating disorder • People aged 18 or older who are the family members/loved ones/carers of someone with a past/current eating disorder

We are seeking people currently living in Australia to participate in virtual (i.e. over Zoom) focus groups. People under the age of 18 will need parental consent to participate. Follow the link to learn more: redcap.link/lzdud5ot

a man in a suit is holding a brown jacket ALT: a man in a suit is holding a brown jacket

After working on a massive grant application for the past two months, it is now submitted (hooray!). But now I'm struggling to remember what I was supposed to be working on before grants took over.

And it is now in press! Read more in the thread I have posted or see the full paper here: doi.org/10.1002/eat....

This brief report is available open access. If you want to read more, you can do so here: doi.org/10.1002/eat....

These findings indicate that quality of life is poor in those with current AN. However, the results also suggest that after weight restoration and early recovery from AN are achieved, quality of life improves across several areas.

The results have implications for building motivation and hope

3/4

Women with current AN reported significantly poorer quality of life than the other two groups.

Women with AN who were weight-restored scored equivalently to the healthy controls across all domains of quality of life, including self-worth, happiness, pain, and independent living.

2/4

I am very excited to share my new publication with @swanresearch.bsky.social on quality of life in #AnorexiaNervosa (AN). We examined health-related quality of life in women with current AN, women who were weight-restored (but not fully recovered), and healthy controls

1/4

doi.org/10.1002/eat....

I've had my first article accepted in the International Journal for Eating Disorders and I am so so excited!! The study is on quality of life and #Anorexia nervosa. I can't wait to share the paper with you once it is available.
#EatingDisorders #Reserch

Researchers at Swinburne Uni are examining the impact of viewing social media content on body image & eating attitudes and behaviours. Your participation is greatly appreciated!! swinuw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #research #socialmedia

Abstract submissions for the BIRD conference are now open. See below for more details.

Anorexia Nervosa—Facts, Frustrations, and the Future This Special Communication discusses challenges that have contributed to limited research progress in eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, and recommends steps to improve research in this field.

Anorexia nervosa’s complexity demands a collaborative, holistic approach to improve treatment outcomes and advance research, experts urge.

by Phillipou A, Schmidt U (...) Eddy KT et 3 al. in JAMA Psychiatry #MedSky

👉 get more here

📖 read the article:

Anorexia Nervosa—Facts, Frustrations, and the Future This Special Communication discusses challenges that have contributed to limited research progress in eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa, and recommends steps to improve research in this ...

I’m very pleased to be a co-author on a paper that explores the complexities of conducting research & developing treatments for anorexia nervosa.
We hope this paper will encourage discussion and foster multidisciplinary collaborations.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Image shows PDF.

Anorexia nervosa is a severe mental illness with rising prevalence among youths, limited treatment options, and prominent physical and psychological challenges.

Learn more in this JAMA Psychiatry Special Communication: https://ja.ma/4dPxvjh

Research silos and a narrow focus on weight restoration are holding back the field of eating disorders, a new Orygen-led paper with co-authors from @harvardmed.bsky.social and @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social has argued.

Details + recommendations: bit.ly/454EKkX

I'm a co-author on this Special Communication about research in anorexia nervosa. We highlight various aspects that have hindered progress in the field and outline steps that can be taken in future research.

Ouch! What a roller coaster of emotions when reading this email

Our team has been working hard to develop the BIRD conference program for the past several months. We are so excited to now share it with you!

We're running the conference both in-person and online, but in-person tickets are limited. All attendees will receive a recording of the full day.

Body Image & Related Disorders Conference 2025 (Hybrid) The 5th biennial Body Image & Related Disorders (BIRD) conference, featuring experts, in-person at Orygen, Melbourne, and livestreamed.

We are excited to announce the 2025 Body Image & Related Disorders (BIRD) Conference. This hybrid conference will be hosted at @orygen.org.au in Melbourne, Australia and also livestreamed online.

Program, tickets, and more information here: birdconference2025.eventbrite.com.au

Our team at @orygen.org.au and @harvard.edu are incredibly proud of this publication. We are still learning how to do better and how to engage more with people with lived experience in our research. We hope you'll learn with us.

My fiance also forced me to use OBS to record things 😂 It was really helpful during the pandemic when I needed to record conference presentations

This research was preliminary in nature and further research and replication is still required. However, the findings provide some insight into poor self-perceived cognitive flexibility as a potential #RiskFactor for anorexia nervosa. 7/7
doi.org/10.1016/j.jp...

These results suggest that self-reported cognitive flexibility may be associated with the risk of anorexia. However, objectively assessed cognitive flexibility did not meet the requirements to be considered a risk factor for anorexia nervosa. 6/7