Researcher | Research Overview
Dr. Freizinger is a Co-PI on a multi-site longitudinal study investigating avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and related eating patterns. The study aims to investigate the relationship between avoidant/restrictive eating and hormones and regions of the brain. The goal is to better understand brain and hormone activity and behavioral markers of avoidant/restrictive eating.
Researcher | Research Background
Melissa Freizinger, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Eating Disorder Program in the Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry at Boston Children’s Hospital and an instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Freizinger received her doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern University. Dr. Freizinger also trained at Cambridge Hospital and in the Behavioral Neurology Unit at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Freizinger was the 2006 Murphy Fellow at the Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Mental Health Center DBT program.
Dr. Freizinger has worked in various settings that include the Behavioral Medicine Department at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Two Brattle Center, and the Psychopharmacology Research Unit at Boston University Medical Center. Most recently, Dr. Freizinger has been involved in program development and has worked for several local eating disorder treatment programs. Dr. Freizinger has presented national and local workshops and lectures on the topic of eating disorders, eating disorders and college students, and borderline personality disorder and eating disorders. She is published in the areas of eating disorders and infertility, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, and depression in infertile women. Her clinical interests include the application of DBT to eating disorders, eating disorders and suicidality, and Family Based Treatment.