Bio
Dr. Cristin Runfola specializes in the treatment and research of eating disorders. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of dysregulated eating and weight concerns in underserved populations and her primary interest is in developing and testing the efficacy of clinical interventions designed to improve outcome for eating disorders. This work included developing protocols for delivering therapy in individual and couple-based formats either in person, online, or via video-conferencing. With grant funding, she co-developed couple based interventions for eating disorders (UNITE) and founded a peer to peer eating disorder educational initiative (EMBODY). Most recently, as lead-PI, she piloted a virtual reality based cue exposure therapy (VR-CET) for binge eating. Within Stanford Psychiatry’s Virtual Reality & Immersive Technology Program, she works with a group of interdisciplinary academics passionate and called upon to evaluate, innovate, and disseminate advances in the field of virtual and augmented reality technology in real world clinical settings. Dr. Runfola sees individuals with eating disorders in the outpatient setting and serves as a study therapist for various clinical trials. She has co-authored multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and has presented her work both nationally and internationally. Dr. Runfola also teaches graduate courses in the Stanford University and Palo Alto University PsyD Consortium. She is engaged in advocacy and holds leadership positions within the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED).
