Aerial Yoga Phoenix Virginia

Associate Clinical Professor, UCSD Department of Psychiatry

Dr. Mary Ellen Trunko has worked with the UCSD eating disorders program since its inception, and has been involved in planning and development of services, delivery of patient care, and supervision and teaching of junior staff members. As associate clinical professor and medical director, Dr. Trunko performs comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, handles medication management, coordinates primary care and other medical services, and educates patients and their families on physiological, medical and psychological aspects of eating disorders. She also runs an outpatient practice that includes individuals with eating disorders as well as those with general psychiatric needs.

Dr. Trunko is board certified in both psychiatry and internal medicine, an unusual combination that is highly relevant to the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. She has used this specialty knowledge to advise primary care providers on the care of eating-disordered patients through presentations and consultation. She has written review papers and clinical case reports on pharmacological interventions for eating disorders. Dr. Trunko earned her MD degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, and completed separate residencies in internal medicine and psychiatry at UCSD.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

Christine Geniza is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, board certified (PMHNP-BC) with a spcialization in Addiction Medicine and Adult Psychiatry. Christine has worked for UCSD in the Neurobehavior medicine unit (NBMU) for 10 years prior to going back to school to obtain her advanced practice nursing degree. Christine obtained her addiction medicine specialty working at the VA in La Jolla’s Alcohol and Drug Treatment Program.

Christine attended California State University Bakersfield and received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and San Diego State University where she received her Bachelor’s Science in Nursing (BSN). Christine completed her PMHNP degree and MSN at California State University Long Beach and has taught nursing at Mira Costa College and San Marcos State University.

Christine lives in North County with her husband and two sons and enjoys the Padres and the Chargers (even when they are losing!)

Nurse

Danica Torres, Registered Nurse joined the UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program in December 2010. Her career as a nurse includes acute care experience and experience with adults and adolescent eating disorder patients in residential, inpatient and partial hospitalization settings. At UCSD, she attends to the medical needs of the patients along with assisting the physicians to coordinate care throughout the patient’s treatment process.

Director of Training, Clinical Associate Professor

Dr. Leslie Karwoski Anderson is a clinical associate professor and training director at UCSD Eating Disorders Center. She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas, and completed her clinical internship at Duke University Medical Center. Before coming to UCSD, she held a clinical faculty appointment at the University of Washington, was a supervisor in Marsha Linehan's DBT training clinic, and was a staff psychologist at the DBT Center of Seattle. She currently oversees the training and clinical supervision of the UCSD EDC staff, and conducts individual, family and group therapy for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and EDNOS. Her research interests are in treatment development, evaluation, and outcomes, especially with regards to adaptations of DBT and FBT, and she has published several papers in this area. She frequently gives talks and workshops on DBT, eating disorders, suicidality, and related topics in the community and at national conferences. She is currently serving as the co-chair of the Academy of Eating Disorders DBT Special Interest Group.

Adult Program Manager

Dr. Anne Cusack is a postdoctoral fellow at the UCSD Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research and co-manages the Adult Treatment Program. As a graduate from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital working with various psychiatric populations. Clinically, she has worked as a therapist on a research trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for eating disorders at the University of Chicago, as well as provided treatment of eating disorders, mood disorders, substance use disorder, PTSD and personality disorders in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient settings. She is currently the Academy for Eating Disorders co-chair for the DBT special interest group. Her research interests include treatment development, acceptance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and self-injurious behaviors. Anne previously worked in the Adolescent Program and currently provides individual, group and family therapy for the Adult Day Treatment and Intensive Outpatient Programs. When she’s not at work, Anne loves traveling, adventuring and playing with the cutest puppy in San Diego!