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A message from our founding director

Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED
Cynthia Bulik, PhD, FAED Founding Director

The UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (CEED) emerged from the vision and passion of a concerned mother, Ms. Rita Robbins, who vowed that no other North Carolina parent should have to struggle to find appropriate care for their child in our State. As we approach our 20th anniversary, since opening our doors in 2003, the three pillars of the Center remain clinical service, training, and research.

Our treatment team delivers the highest standard of evidence-based care to achieve efficient and sustained clinical improvement, enhanced quality of life, and recovery. We work together with each patient and family to personalize a treatment plan for their unique needs. No two eating disorders are exactly alike, so there is no “one size fits all” treatment for eating disorders. We are committed to healthcare equity, abiding by the Academy for Eating Disorders 5th Truth “Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes and weights, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic statuses.”

Alongside our clinical mission, CEED provides outstanding education and training in eating disorders evaluation and treatment to medical students, residents, fellows, graduate students, interns, postdoctoral fellows, and other health profession trainees. Our trainees have gone on to stellar clinical and research careers around the globe.

CEED is world renown for our research. One of the fundamental benefits of a university-based program is the seamless cross talk between the clinical and research teams. We are constantly learning from each other and advancing the field. Our research goals are to develop a deeper understanding of the causes of eating disorders and to create more effective diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies for eating disorders. From bench to bedside, basic researchers associated with CEED work to understand the causes of eating disorders and clinical researchers develop and test novel methods to enhance and tailor treatment.

Excellence is woven into the fabric of CEED. Whether we are focusing on an individual patient or conducting global research, we expect excellence and dedication from each team member. Our patients and families, our trainees, and our collaborators deserve nothing less.

We encourage you to avail yourself of the many resources and features of our website, and to return frequently to keep informed of new program offerings, innovations, and discoveries.

Dr. Cynthia Bulik, Founding Director