We are currently conducting ONLINE research studies and could use your help! You can participate from anywhere in the United States!!
If you have or have ever had an eating disorder, please contact us to get involved in our paid research studies!! Most of our studies are online, so you can participate wherever you live (you do not have to live or be nearby Louisville).
Below are some of the ongoing studies you could participate in. For a full list, see our individual study pages from the drop-down menu above!
FED-F Study (Online)
The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a 12-week online Anorexia Nervosa relapse prevention treatment. Participants in the study will be asked to complete a virtual screening, brief education about the online relapse prevention treatment, and questionnaires before they begin participation in the study. This National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded study will allow us to improve treatment outcomes, enhance full recovery, and decrease the likelihood of Anorexia Nervosa relapse.
TRAC Study (Online)
The purpose of this study is to help us understand individual features of eating disorders and suicide in adults with Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa. This National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supported study will allow us to identify individual symptoms that maintain eating disorders and suicide in people with Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia. The knowledge from this study has the potential to inform personalized treatments for suicide and eating disorders.
To learn more and sign up, click here
PIONEER Study (Online)
The purpose of this study is to build a new precision treatment for eating disorders and identify how individual treatment mechanisms relate to public health outcomes, individual disease burden, medical comorbidities, and social determinants of health. This study could help us find better treatment for eating disorders, which is why your participation is so important to us!
To learn more and sign up, click here
The Body Project
The Body Project is a dissonance-based, body-acceptance intervention designed to help high school girls resist the pressures to conform to the "appearance ideal" and reduce their desires to change their body. Research on the Body Project shows that it improves body image and prevents the use of disordered eating behaviors among high school girls. Students meet in small groups of 6-10 for 1-hour once a week for 4 weeks with a trained Body Project facilitator while going through the program.
To learn more and sign up, click here
Virtual Reality Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate if virtual reality technology can be utilized to improve weight related fears and anxiety in individuals with eating disorders. Participants will be asked to do a screening interview, and two virtual reality therapy sessions while wearing a virtual reality headset and health-sensor band. During the virtual reality therapy, participants will be asked to wear a virtual reality headset and go through a guided mirror exposure in a virtual reality environment. Participants will receive free VR therapy sessions as part of this study, which is valued up to $500.
To learn more and sign up, click here
Youth Eating Study (YES!) (In-Person + Online)
The Youth Eating Study (YES!) is a multi-phase research study about parents’ and children’s emotions, physical sensations, and eating behaviors and thoughts. This study could help us identify difficulties with anxiety and eating in children and adolescents. Eligible participants are biological mothers and their daughters, ages 6 to 8 or 10 to 12.
The study consists of 4 phases. The first phase will be questionnaires and daily assessments 3 times per day in 10 days, 3-5 minutes each. The second phase will be a 4-hour lab visit, including interviews, assessments, questionnaires, and behavioral tasks conducted in-person at the University of Louisville. One year after the lab visit, participants and their child will complete a few remote follow-up questionnaires. Two years after the lab visit, the participants and their child will visit the lab again for follow-up interviews and questionnaires.
Participants can be paid up to $630 in incentives/financial compensation for completing all four parts of the study.
To learn more about this study, visit this link: https://www.louisvilleeatlab.com/youth-eating-study-yes.html
Prescription Weight Loss Drug Misuse
Do you have experiences with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Trulicity?
The purpose of this study is to investigate perspectives and experiences with GLP-1 drugs that are prescribed for weight loss and diabetes management. The study consists of responding to questions in two online surveys. Responses to an initial screening survey will be used to determine eligibility to continue participation to the main study survey. This study will help us understand how individuals with eating disorders use prescription weight loss drugs.
Participants will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $150 gift card.
Access the screening survey here.
If you have or have ever had an eating disorder, please contact us to get involved in our paid research studies!! Most of our studies are online, so you can participate wherever you live (you do not have to live or be nearby Louisville).
Below are some of the ongoing studies you could participate in. For a full list, see our individual study pages from the drop-down menu above!
FED-F Study (Online)
The purpose of this clinical trial is to determine the acceptability and feasibility of a 12-week online Anorexia Nervosa relapse prevention treatment. Participants in the study will be asked to complete a virtual screening, brief education about the online relapse prevention treatment, and questionnaires before they begin participation in the study. This National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded study will allow us to improve treatment outcomes, enhance full recovery, and decrease the likelihood of Anorexia Nervosa relapse.
TRAC Study (Online)
The purpose of this study is to help us understand individual features of eating disorders and suicide in adults with Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa. This National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supported study will allow us to identify individual symptoms that maintain eating disorders and suicide in people with Anorexia Nervosa and Atypical Anorexia. The knowledge from this study has the potential to inform personalized treatments for suicide and eating disorders.
To learn more and sign up, click here
PIONEER Study (Online)
The purpose of this study is to build a new precision treatment for eating disorders and identify how individual treatment mechanisms relate to public health outcomes, individual disease burden, medical comorbidities, and social determinants of health. This study could help us find better treatment for eating disorders, which is why your participation is so important to us!
To learn more and sign up, click here
The Body Project
The Body Project is a dissonance-based, body-acceptance intervention designed to help high school girls resist the pressures to conform to the "appearance ideal" and reduce their desires to change their body. Research on the Body Project shows that it improves body image and prevents the use of disordered eating behaviors among high school girls. Students meet in small groups of 6-10 for 1-hour once a week for 4 weeks with a trained Body Project facilitator while going through the program.
To learn more and sign up, click here
Virtual Reality Study
The purpose of this study is to investigate if virtual reality technology can be utilized to improve weight related fears and anxiety in individuals with eating disorders. Participants will be asked to do a screening interview, and two virtual reality therapy sessions while wearing a virtual reality headset and health-sensor band. During the virtual reality therapy, participants will be asked to wear a virtual reality headset and go through a guided mirror exposure in a virtual reality environment. Participants will receive free VR therapy sessions as part of this study, which is valued up to $500.
To learn more and sign up, click here
Youth Eating Study (YES!) (In-Person + Online)
The Youth Eating Study (YES!) is a multi-phase research study about parents’ and children’s emotions, physical sensations, and eating behaviors and thoughts. This study could help us identify difficulties with anxiety and eating in children and adolescents. Eligible participants are biological mothers and their daughters, ages 6 to 8 or 10 to 12.
The study consists of 4 phases. The first phase will be questionnaires and daily assessments 3 times per day in 10 days, 3-5 minutes each. The second phase will be a 4-hour lab visit, including interviews, assessments, questionnaires, and behavioral tasks conducted in-person at the University of Louisville. One year after the lab visit, participants and their child will complete a few remote follow-up questionnaires. Two years after the lab visit, the participants and their child will visit the lab again for follow-up interviews and questionnaires.
Participants can be paid up to $630 in incentives/financial compensation for completing all four parts of the study.
To learn more about this study, visit this link: https://www.louisvilleeatlab.com/youth-eating-study-yes.html
Prescription Weight Loss Drug Misuse
Do you have experiences with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Trulicity?
The purpose of this study is to investigate perspectives and experiences with GLP-1 drugs that are prescribed for weight loss and diabetes management. The study consists of responding to questions in two online surveys. Responses to an initial screening survey will be used to determine eligibility to continue participation to the main study survey. This study will help us understand how individuals with eating disorders use prescription weight loss drugs.
Participants will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $150 gift card.
Access the screening survey here.
We are also looking for individuals who have never had an eating disorder to participate in research. Please contact us if you are interested in participating.
