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What We Do
The Harris Center at Massachusetts General Hospital advances the understanding, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders. Staffed by leaders in the field, the Center spearheads research into the causes and treatments for eating disorders, as well as their associated medical and psychological conditions.
Through its annual Matina S. Horner, Ph.D. Summer Research Fellowships, the Harris Center mentors emerging scientists and students, giving them the resources and guidance they need to undertake their own research projects.
The Harris Center also conducts or participates in symposia that train professionals, increase awareness among groups interacting with those at risk for eating disorders, and communicate latest research advances to other professionals.
Our annual Public Forum, held on the Harvard University campus, provides the community an arena for open dialogue with well-known individuals about eating disorders, society's cultural ideals, and the media's influence on body image and self-esteem.
The Center's Teen Mentor Program offers adolescent girls the opportunity to learn the best ways to promote positive self-image. In meetings with our staff, the girls discuss sources of stress in their schools – such as bullying and pressure to achieve at the highest level – that may dampen self-esteem. Then they create outreach and advocacy projects to address these issues, and through this process they strengthen their leadership skills.
The Harris Center is a founding member of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action. Through the Coalition, the Harris Center is seeking to raise national awareness of eating disorders and to promote federal support for improved access to care, parity and research.
Our annual newsletter keeps the community and the public-at-large updated on the Harris Center's research, education and advocacy programs.
This page was last updated on November 8, 2012.
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