Dr. McAdams’ work focuses on the neurobiological processes that contribute to eating disorders. She graduated from Rice University with a double major in biochemistry and behavioral science, completed both an MD and a PhD in neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine and a postdoctoral fellowship in neurobiology at Harvard Medical School. The development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) inspired her to become a psychiatrist so that she could utilize this technology to capture how cognitive processes contribute to mental illnesses. She came to UT Southwestern as a psychiatry resident in 2006, and began her clinical and research work with patients with eating disorders shortly thereafter. The research she conducted as a psychiatry resident here led to receipt of a five year National Institutes of Mental Health Career Development Award. She has subsequently built a translational research program examining biological factors in eating disorders, with her primary expertise in the biological contributions to social behaviors. In the eight years since she finished residency, she has published over 20 manuscripts, and received more than 4.5 million dollars in grant awards. The Brain and Behavior Foundation provided her with an honorable mention for the Klarman Award in 2015 and invited her to participate in their Meet the Scientist Webinar series in 2018. Dr. McAdams is also a skilled clinician specialized in eating disorders who has worked with patients and families at all levels of care. She received the LEAD award in 2018 from the Elisa Project for her local advocacy, education, clinical work, and research in eating disorders. Her long-term career goals are to improve clinical outcomes for individuals with eating disorders by increasing our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms related to illness and recovery in ways that lead to better treatments.