F.E.A.S.T. Interviews US & UK researchers about historic DNA discovery for eating disorders

Last week, news reports around the world announced the historic discovery of eight specific genes that appear to be associated with one of the eating disorders, anorexia nervosa. Not only did this mark the first time specific genes had been identified, the genes which turned up most in those suffering from eating disorders pointed to metabolic factors that were surprising. The research is now opening the way for research into these factors as well as the need to study more eating disorders.

As families around the world learned the news, questions about what this means, and why it matters came to our attention here at F.E.A.S.T.  Fortunately, the leader of the project, Dr. Cynthia Bulik, is on our Advisory Panel. In addition, since F.E.A.S.T. Executive Director, Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh, and former Chair, Erica Husain, have been involved with Charlotte's Helix in the UK, it felt like a good time to gather those three and Dr. Gerome Breen, from Kings College London, to discuss the project and the families who have been involved around the world.

F.E.A.S.T.'s Executive Director, Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh, caught up with three key people involved with the historic genomics research recently published in Nature Genetics Journal.