Contact information

Email	rebecca.park@psych.ox.ac.uk
Tel	+44 (0)1865 618318
Fax	+44 (0)1865 793101

Rebecca Park

BSc MB BCh MRCPsych PhD

Associate Professor and Consultant Psychiatrist

Head of OxBread Research Group
Consultant Psychiatrist; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust Eating DIsorders Service, Cotswold House Oxford.

My research focuses on defining the psychological, somatic and neural processes underpinning eating disorders and using this deeper understanding to develop new forms of treatment.

In particular I investigate the most severe form of eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, because more effective forms of treatment are urgently needed: Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality of any psychiatric disorder and leads to chronic morbidity, yet the evidence base for treatment is weak. It is thus essential to develop novel, more effective treatments based on an understanding of the key processes maintaining the illness.

My novel cognitive science based framework for anorexia nervosa , with it’s implications for treatment, guides our research hypotheses. In collaboration with neuroscientists in Oxford we have investigated aberrant reward processes in severe eating disorders and from this we are developing new forms of treatment targeting these processes. Our investigations use cutting edge forms of brain imaging in addition to psychological experiments. We also particularly value the accounts of individuals affected by eating disorders in guiding our research.We are now starting to use these research findings to guide the development of exciting new approaches to treating eating disorders. These will reduce the costs of the illness to individuals their families and health services and improve the lives of those afflicted and their families. Extensive clinical experience with patients is central to my research: I am lead consultant to the Oxfordshire specialist eating disorders community team, based at Cotswold House, Warneford Hospital where I am particularly involved with helping students with eating disorders.

Additionally, I teach undergraduates in preclinical and clinical medicine, about eating disorders, and supervise PhD students.

A novel measure of compulsive food restriction in anorexia nervosa: validation of the Self-Starvation Scale (SS).
Godier LR. and Park RJ., (2015), Eat Behav, 17, 10 - 13
Hungry for reward: How can neuroscience inform the development of treatment for Anorexia Nervosa?
Park RJ. et al, (2014), Behav Res Ther, 62, 47 - 59
Hungry for reward: How can neuroscience inform the development of treatment for Anorexia Nervosa?
Park RJ. et al, (2014), Behaviour Research and Therapy, 62, 47 - 59
Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2014), Human Brain Mapping, 35, 483 - 491
Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2014), Hum Brain Mapp, 35, 483 - 491
Compulsivity in anorexia nervosa: a transdiagnostic concept.
Godier LR. and Park RJ., (2014), Front Psychol, 5
A sense of embodiment is reflected in people's signature size.
Rawal A. et al, (2014), PLoS One, 9
Rumination and modes of processing around meal times in women with anorexia nervosa: qualitative and quantitative results from a pilot study.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2013), Eur Eat Disord Rev, 21, 411 - 419
Rumination and modes of processing around meal times in women with anorexia nervosa: Qualitative and quantitative results from a pilot study
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2013), European Eating Disorders Review, 21, 411 - 419
Liking compared with wanting for high- and low-calorie foods in anorexia nervosa: aberrant food reward even after weight restoration.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2013), Am J Clin Nutr, 97, 463 - 470
Reply to: Punishing Food: What Brain Activity Can Tell Us About the Representation of Food in Recovered Anorexia Nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2012), Biol Psychiatry, 71
The role of experiential avoidance, rumination and mindfulness in eating disorders.
Cowdrey FA. and Park RJ., (2012), Eat Behav, 13, 100 - 105
Neural responses to emotional faces in women recovered from anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2012), Psychiatry Res, 201, 190 - 195
Schematic models and modes of mind in anorexia nervosa II: Implications for treatment and course
Park RJ. et al, (2012), International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 5, 86 - 98
Schematic models and modes of mind in anorexia nervosa I: A novel process account
Park RJ. et al, (2011), International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 4, 415 - 437
Assessing rumination in eating disorders: principal component analysis of a minimally modified ruminative response scale.
Cowdrey FA. and Park RJ., (2011), Eat Behav, 12, 321 - 324
Increased neural processing of rewarding and aversive food stimuli in recovered anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2011), Biol Psychiatry, 70, 736 - 743
Effects of analytical and experiential self-focus on stress-induced cognitive reactivity in eating disorder psychopathology
Rawal A. et al, (2011), Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49, 635 - 645
Rumination, experiential avoidance, and dysfunctional thinking in eating disorders.
Rawal A. et al, (2010), Behav Res Ther, 48, 851 - 859
Atypical antipsychotics and anorexia nervosa: a review.
McKnight RF. and Park RJ., (2010), Eur Eat Disord Rev, 18, 10 - 21
Managing anxiety in eating disorders with knitting.
Clave-Brule M. et al, (2009), Eat Weight Disord, 14, e1 - e5
Self-devaluative dysphoric experience and the prediction of persistent first-episode major depressive disorder in adolescents.
Park RJ. et al, (2005), Psychol Med, 35, 539 - 548
Effects of induced rumination and distraction on mood and overgeneral autobiographical memory in adolescent Major Depressive Disorder and controls.
Park RJ. et al, (2004), J Child Psychol Psychiatry, 45, 996 - 1006
Children's representation of family mealtime in the context of maternal eating disorders.
Park RJ. et al, (2003), Child Care Health Dev, 29, 111 - 119
The offspring of mothers with eating disorders.
Park RJ. et al, (2003), Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 12 Suppl 1, I110 - I119
The children of mothers with eating disorders.
Patel P. et al, (2002), Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 5, 1 - 19

Key Publications

Liking compared with wanting for high- and low-calorie foods in anorexia nervosa: aberrant food reward even after weight restoration.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2013), Am J Clin Nutr, 97, 463 - 470
Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2014), Hum Brain Mapp, 35, 483 - 491
Increased neural processing of rewarding and aversive food stimuli in recovered anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2011), Biol Psychiatry, 70, 736 - 743

Recent Publications

A novel measure of compulsive food restriction in anorexia nervosa: validation of the Self-Starvation Scale (SS).
Godier LR. and Park RJ., (2015), Eat Behav, 17, 10 - 13
Hungry for reward: How can neuroscience inform the development of treatment for Anorexia Nervosa?
Park RJ. et al, (2014), Behav Res Ther, 62, 47 - 59
Hungry for reward: How can neuroscience inform the development of treatment for Anorexia Nervosa?
Park RJ. et al, (2014), Behaviour Research and Therapy, 62, 47 - 59
Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2014), Human Brain Mapping, 35, 483 - 491
Increased resting state functional connectivity in the default mode network in recovered anorexia nervosa.
Cowdrey FA. et al, (2014), Hum Brain Mapp, 35, 483 - 491

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