Fiona duffy

elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid... please do apply!

Myself and @drhelensharpe.bsky.social have combined 2 0.4WTE postdocs to make 0.8 for 1 person or two 0.4 posts thanks to @medresfdn.bsky.social funding. Will be working across developing resources for food insecurity in EDs and adaptations to FT-AN for autistic young people at Edinburgh uni.

Medical Research Foundation | Transforming eating disorder care…

[2/2] A huge congratulations to:

🟩 @fionaduffy.bsky.social from The University of Edinburgh
🟩 @nicolabyrom.bsky.social from King's College London
🟩 @drhelensharpe.bsky.social from the University of Edinburgh
🟩 @dashanicholls.bsky.social from Imperial College London

👉 Read more: shorturl.at/GbQQk

Meet the recipients of our new Eating Disorders Research Changing Policy and Practice Awards! ✨

These exceptional researchers are working to share their findings with healthcare professionals & policymakers, to improve support for those affected by life-threatening eating disorders. [1/2]

🔍 Researchers from the Eating Disorders and Autism Collaborative (#EDAC) have used an innovative 'photo voice' technique to empower Autistic people with eating disorders to shape the direction of future research. #MedSky

📄 read paper: lnkd.in/dAWSUVyT
🖼️ view virtual exhibition: lnkd.in/dnBHnAh5

Flyer on a white background with two speech bubbles top right of picture and QR code bottom right. Title: are you an autistic adult with experience of CBT-E for eating disorders? Main text: we want to learn more about experiences of enhanced contrive behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-E) for Autistic people. We are looking for Autistic people over 16 with experience of CBT-E for anorexia, bulimia or binge eating. Taking part involves providing information about you, your experience of CBT-E and maybe a follow up interview to talk more about your experience. If you would be happy to take part please scan the QR code. If you have any questions please email Emy.nimbley@ed.ac.uk

We are recruiting Autistic adults (formal diagnosis or self identified), over 16years and fluent in English, who have experienced CBT-E for anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder in the past 3 years for a survey and an optional follow up interviews. edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

EDAC: Increasing Awareness, identification and support for autistic people with eating disorders Animation produced for the Eating Disorder and Autism Collaborative (EDAC) as part of a research project on the theory of autism and eating disorders.

Clip with subtitles found here: media.ed.ac.uk/media/EDAC%3...

Our @edaceatingautism.bsky.social postdoc @emynimbley.bsky.social has made this amazing clip of a recent ESRC Impact Acceleration event supporting lived experience, clinicians and researchers to come together to share understanding of autism and eating disorders, narrated by one of our collaborators

We are recruiting UK based clinicians in eating disorder services to think about barriers & enablers for implementing autism affirming care, for example PEACE pathway. If you would be willing to be interviewed over TEAMS there is more information here! edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

In-person ECR event for eating disorder researchers in UK on 8th May, focusing on funding applications and co-production.

An optional second day networking event with 4 UKRI-funded ED research.

✍️Register interest here: qualtricsxm8tn52zk86.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Top right image of Edinburgh with logo of Edinburgh uni and words eating disorders and behaviour research group. Top left EDAW 2025 in capitals. Bottom of the image is text stating day 4: Calories on Menus: impact on individuals with eating disorders

Day 4 of #EDAW updates from Edinburgh University. @fionaduffy.bsky.social, @eatsleeplaugh.bsky.social and @drhelensharpe.bsky.social are working on an NIHR project led by Dr Tom Jewell on the impact of the introduction of calories on menus in England on individuals with eating disorders

Medical Research Foundation | Eating disorders and autism -…

🧠 Eating disorders often co-exist with autism, yet research in this area remains limited.

Foundation-funded Dr Fiona Duffy & Dr Karri Gillespie-Smith are working to change that.

Through @edaceatingautism.bsky.social, they’ve shared best-practice research guidelines. Read more: bit.ly/4k8JN8W #EDAW

Day 3 of #EDAW updates! We are delighted to highlight EDIFY today which is co-led by @drhelensharpe.bsky.social . @edifyresearch.bsky.social is a 4 year programme of research focused on how we understand and treat eating disorders in young people. Www.edifyresearch.co.uk

Top right image of Edinburgh with logo of Edinburgh uni and words eating disorders and behaviour research group. Top left EDAW 2025 in capitals. Bottom of the image is text stating day 2: body image, social media and online fitness professionals. We are interviewing online personal trainers/ coaches that use social media to promote their business

For Day 2 of our daily #EDAW updates, we are delighted that Michelle Carroll is studying with us extending our research groups work on social media, body image and eating behaviours. Michelle is looking to recruit online personal trainers who use social media to promote their business.

Top right image of Edinburgh with logo of Edinburgh uni and words eating disorders and behaviour research group. Top left EDAW 2025 in capitals. Bottom of the image is text stating day 1: autism and eating disorders. We are proud to host EDaC a research network to support interdisciplinary research, led by autistic individuals with lived experience

Day 1 #EDAW25 updates from us is that we are delighted to host the eating disorders and autism collaborative (EDAC) for updates you can find them here @edaceatingautism.bsky.social and www.edacresearch.co.uk where they have open access publications, interviews with researchers and opportunities

An evaluation of lived experience email peer support for young people with eating disorders Peer support is where individuals with the same shared experience provide mutual support. Using a non-controlled repeated measure design, this study evaluates initial efficacy of one-to-one email p...

Real world evaluation of email peer support for young people with eating disorders, including exploration of outcomes for befrienders. A partnership between NHS Lothian CAMHS and Beat, thanks to initial development funding from Scotland www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Image of hand holding up plastic cup with two silver metal spoons in it against a turquoise background. Written text above this stating exhibition details 1st to 8th march (closed Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday) time 10am to 5pm, free/drop in, location at inspace, 1 Crichton street, Newington, Edinburgh, EH 8 9AB

EDAC is proud to host an exhibition of photographs, drawings and digital art on the experience and research priorities of autistic people with eating disorders . inspace.ed.ac.uk/youre-not-al.... 1st to 8th march (closed Sunday Tuesday and Thursday, free drop in 10-5 quiet hour on sat.

We hope to add to this evidence base with our work. We’re actively recruiting for studies in England. Please see the links below if you are interested or know someone who might be:

1. Interview study (tinyurl.com/c6td45ra)

2. Online survey (tinyurl.com/yt6xjzx5)

So what does this mean? Nutritional labels are being introduced and/or considered by governments globally as a public health policy. But in making that decision it’s vital to understand how this policy impacts people with eating disorders to adequately balance risk and benefit.

Impact of out-of-home nutrition labelling on people with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-synthesis Objectives Mandatory nutrition labels for out-of-home food consumption have been introduced in several countries to curb rising obesity levels. However, concerns have been raised about the potential n...

We just published a systematic review on the impact of the out-of-home nutritional labels (i.e., restaurants, cafes) on people with eating disorders. Key points and next steps below 👇

bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/...

Impact of out-of-home nutrition labelling on people with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-synthesis Objectives Mandatory nutrition labels for out-of-home food consumption have been introduced in several countries to curb rising obesity levels. However, concerns have been raised about the potential n...

New publication! systematic review exploring the impact if calories on menus with people with ED's from @drhelensharpe.bsky.social @fionaduffy.bsky.social @eatsleeplaugh.bsky.social and Imogen Peebles, led by @ntrompeter.bsky.social and @tomjewell.bsky.social bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/3/1/...

We are still recruiting parents/carers for parallel interviews of their experience of FBT/FT-AN for anorexia or bulimia with an autistic young person.... more info here edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Clinicians' Experiences of Eating Disorder Focused Family Therapy With Autistic Young People Objective Eating disorder focused family therapy (FT-ED) is the leading outpatient intervention for adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa. Autistic people report poorer eating disorder treatment experie...

New publication with @edaceatingautism.bsky.social, @eatsleeplaugh.bsky.social @emynimbley.bsky.social and others, qualitative study of clinicians experience of eating disorder focused family therapy (FBT or FT-AN) with Autistic young people and their families onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

My new motto in life.... enjoy the Pringle 🤣x

Calorie labels encourage people to eat less by only a single crisp, study says Review of labelling’s effectiveness finds average reduction is equivalent of 11 calories in a typical 600-calorie meal

Calorie labels encourage people to eat less by only a single crisp, study says www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

It's great to see the potential for harm acknowledged here in a way that hasn't been in reviews before (sometimes our fields feel very separate!) and recommendations for further assessment on this built into to future studies

The current clinical approach to feeding and eating disorders aimed to increase personalization of management Feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) are a heterogeneous grouping of disorders at the mind-body interface, with typical onset from childhood into emerging adulthood. They occur along a spectrum of dis...

Hot off the press! New paper by a range of co-authors including our own @drhelensharpe.bsky.social on key domains that may be relevant to the characterisation of individuals with FED to support personalisation of care👏👏👏👏 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Ethical Complexities and Concerns Surrounding Magnetic Resonance Imaging and the Open-Access Scientific Framework in Autism Research | Autism in Adulthood There is an increasing demand for publicly funded research datasets to be made available for the research community. However, there are multiple issues associated with the use of accessible data, particularly in the Autistic community, where individuals have understandable reservations as to who is accessing these data, what the associated objectives are regarding the use of these data, and why there is insufficient follow-up to individuals who have offered their time to provide their data. These issues particularly extend toward brain imaging research, in which Autistic individuals have expressed long-standing ethical concerns as to how and why this research is performed. This perspective piece aims to outline concerns from the Autistic community in relation to both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the functionality of the open-access scientific framework, utilizing these approaches as examples to outline discipline-wide concerns and barriers to ethical research. This work will also address a bias in research regarding who can reasonably tolerate an MRI scan as an Autistic person and whether certain Autistic characteristics are being disproportionally highlighted and/or suppressed through these research practices. Lastly, this perspective piece will focus on methods with which MRI, open-science philosophy, and general research disciplines can improve practice to conduct ethical autism research.

New paper led by Michelle Sader highlighting some of the ethical dilemmas in MRI and open access framework in autism research, based on EDACs first workstream thinking about co-production of research in Autistic individuals with eating disorders www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/...

Conducting ethical, co-produced research with autistic individuals with an eating disorder: best practice guidelines There is a notable overlap between autism and eating disorders (EDs), and autistic individuals may experience poorer ED treatment outcomes than non-autistic peers. To make meaningful change in this...

An early Xmas pressie! Delighted that our best practice guidelines for conducting co-produced research with autistic indivudals with an eating disorder have now been published. Many thanks to all our co-authors! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The Co‐Occurrence of Autism and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): A Prevalence‐Based Meta‐Analysis Objective Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder characterized by extensive avoidance and/or restriction of food. Existing research demonstrates that ARFI.....

New publication by EDACs amazing post doc Michelle Sader on the Co-occurrence of autism and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder-meta analysis of prevalence rates ... onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... @karri-g-smith.bsky.social @drhelensharpe.bsky.social @fionaduffy.bsky.social