During the planning and implementation of the FIAT study, close collaboration between researchers, patients and external specialists has been of great importance, which is why we have set up three commissions comprising former patients, parents of patients and external specialists. These individuals have been involved in the FIAT-related processes throughout the study, since the planning stage. In this way, the FIAT study not only meets scientific standards, but importantly also integrates the experiences and wishes of those who were or are directly or indirectly affected by anorexia nervosa. The perspectives of professionals and experienced specialists who treat people with this disorder in other settings complements that of those with lived experience.

 

 

The Expert Commission

The Expert Commission is made up of experts from various specialist associations who have extensive experience in the counselling and treatment of children and adolescents with eating disorders and their families. Through its expertise, the commission ensures that the FIAT study is practice-oriented, meets the needs of those affected and provides optimal outreach to families seeking help. Furthermore, if the effectiveness of FBT can be proven scientifically after the study, there will be a great need for information to be disseminated amongst the public and relevant experts. Thanks to their involvement in the FIAT study from the very beginning, the selected experts are ideally positioned to take on this role.

 

Members

Corina Lendfers, lic.rer.publ.HSG - Anorexia Parents' Network
Corina Lendfers is a political scientist, author and mother of six children. She represents the Anorexia Parents' Network on the expert committee. The network offers support for parents through self-help who have not (yet) found a suitable therapy for their child, and is committed to educating and empowering parents. The Parents' Network contributes its expertise to the study and supports the team with the recruitment of families. Another important task is to ensure that the families participating in the FIAT study do not use the self-help services at the same time, so that the study results are not biased and no contradictory information is given to the study families.  

 

Eva Mahkorn - Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist
Eva Mahkorn is a licensed psychotherapist for children and adolescents with a focus on behavioural therapy and EMDR. She has been working in her own practice in Landsberg am Lech since 2015 and is specialised in the treatment of eating disorders in young people and their families. She is currently completing her FBT certification through the American FBT Training Institute and regularly takes part in supervisions with Prof. Daniel Le Grange and the FBT team at Charité Berlin as part of the study.

 

Angelique Hentschel - Dick & Dünn e.V. Berlin
Angelique Hentschel is a qualified social education worker, systemic counsellor, addiction therapist and art and creative therapist. As a full-time employee of Dick & Dünn e.V. Berlin, she advises those affected and their relatives, provides specialised counselling and training, and leads groups. She is also the contact person for the cooperative project “Bitter & Süß”, a residential community for young people with eating disorders.

 

 

The Steering Committee

The Steering Committee consists of renowned scientists, clinicians and experts from the fields of economics and management. They support the management of the study by contributing their experience and contacts to address challenges that may arise during the planning and implementation of the study. Various aspects are discussed, such as recruitment strategies, the study survey process, the specific implementation of therapies, and even very specific situations in the study centres. The primary goal is always to ensure the quality of the study, enable smooth work for all involved, and thus offer participating families the best possible therapy and care. The committee's core tasks include selecting questionnaires, defining inclusion and exclusion criteria, and continuously monitoring the progress of the study. If necessary, recommendations are made to adjust the study procedure.

 

Members

Prof. Dr. Christoph Correll
Christoph Correll is Director of the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy for adults, children and adolescents. With over 1,000 published scientific articles and memberships in numerous expert committees, he brings a wide range of expertise in the field of science and clinical studies to the table. Together with Verena Haas, he heads the FIAT study and contributes his experience and expertise to the success of the FIAT study.  

 

Dr. oec. troph. Verena Haas
Verena Haas is a nutritionist and nutrition therapist at the Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, where she has headed the research department for eating disorders since 2018. After first coming into contact with FBT during a research stay in Sydney in 2003, she brought her knowledge of this form of therapy, which was still unknown in Germany at the time, back with her to Berlin and campaigned for the establishment of a corresponding programme at Charité. In 2019, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Correll, she led the Berlin FBT pilot study, which formed the basis for the FIAT study now being conducted throughout Germany. In her role as study and project manager of FIAT, she makes important decisions regarding the planning and implementation of the study in consultation with the commissions and the Berlin FIAT team and coordinates all parties involved in the project.

 

Viktor Nöhles
Viktor B. Nöhles is a child and adolescent psychotherapist and research assistant at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Within the FIAT study, he performs key project management tasks, including coordinating the partners involved, managing contractual and data protection processes, and organising and securing funding. He brings his many years of experience in coordinating studies, including those on the early detection of psychosis in children and adolescents and research into depression in adults, to bear in the implementation of the study.

 

Prof. Dr. Stefan Ehrlich
Stefan Ehrlich is Head of the Department of Psychosocial Medicine and Developmental Neuroscience and the Department for the Treatment and Research of Eating Disorders at Dresden University of Technology. He is a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy and his research focuses on the biological processes underlying mental disorders in children and adolescents. In the steering committee, he provides expert advice on all issues relating to the implementation of inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa as part of the FIAT study.

 

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Voderholzer
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Voderholzer is Medical Director of the Schön Klinik Roseneck, Head of a working group for psychotherapy and health services research at the LMU Clinic in Munich, and Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Medical Centre Freiburg. His work focuses on the research and treatment of eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorders. He is spokesperson for the board of trustees of the German Federal Association for Eating Disorders and is involved in the development of the 2nd revision of the S3 guideline for the treatment of eating disorders. As head of Germany's largest clinic for the treatment of even very severe forms of eating disorders, he contributes his expertise and experience to the planning and implementation of the FIAT study.

 

Martin Wiesmann
Martin Wiesmann is an independent consultant for geopolitics and government affairs, co-founder of a think tank and supervisory board member. He is the father of four daughters and serves as a patient representative on the steering committee of the FIAT study. Martin Wiesmann has accompanied his youngest daughter, who suffers from anorexia, for several years and has gained extensive experience in the outpatient, clinical and family care of an anorexia patient.