Unlocking Genetics

Since its opening in 2003, the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders has become a world leader in treatment, research and training around eating disorders.

The founding director of the center, Cynthia Bulik, is leading an international study called the Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI). The goal of this study is to identify whether certain genetic markers are more common among people with eating disorders.

Samples for this study will be collected over three years, followed by substantial analysis in tandem with the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC). By working with Carolina-based PGC, Bulik’s initiative will be able to achieve a 100,000-person sample size, which will drastically increase the significance of the study’s findings. 

EDGI and PGC working together to reach a common goal is one of many examples of the ways in which Carolina’s work in convergent science is able to propel research forward for the public good.

“I’m just so passionate about what I do,” said Bulik. “Whenever I get an email from a family or a patient … it just fuels me, because I’ve got to find answers.”

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