Lili Clark

Thesis title: Hunger for Meaning: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Self-Experienced Turning Points in Eating Disorders

Biography

Background

Pivoting from pursuing a degree in pharmacology, Lili Clark graduated with a BSc in Psychology from the University of Wyoming. She moved from the Pacific Northwest of the United States to Scotland in the autumn of 2020 to undertake her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Edinburgh's School of Health in Social Science as a member of the Eating Disorders & Behaviors Research Group. 

Lili's doctoral research investigates sense of self and identity throughout the course of disordered eating and recovery with an emphasis on cognitive, affective, and behavioural perspectives. At the intersection of professional idée fixe and personal experience, Lili seeks to understand the self-experience variables that may be underserved by current disorder conceptualisations and treatment approaches which may subsequently hinder recovery outcomes for individuals with eating disorders.

CV available upon request. 

Qualifications

  • AA, Psychology, Central Wyoming College   
  • BSc, Psychology,  University of Wyoming 

 

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • Research Assistant for Dr Joanna Alexjuk on PTAS project creating and developing course on compassion in the workplace and in life (Prof. Liz Grant, PI) (Summer 2021 - Ongoing) 
  • Member of CADP 
  • Member of ScotDPN
  • Member of Research Bow (2021)

Undergraduate teaching

Tutoring 

  • Typical & Atypical Child Development (Autumn 2022; 2023)
  • Introduction to Disability Studies (Spring 2023)
  • Biological Psychology (Spring 2022)
  • Identity & Experience in Health and Society (Spring 2021)

Course Design & Development Contributions

  • Develops & delivers lecture for Introduction to Disability Studies (Spring 2022; Spring 2023)
  • Contributor to module designs for Typical & Atypical Child Development (Autumn 2022)

Postgraduate teaching

  • Research collaborator to DClin researchers, consulting on topics of qualitative research design (IPA, thematic analysis), theoretical frameworks, eating disorders, and neurodiversity (2022- present)
  • Mentors first-year Ph.D. Clinical Psychology students (2021-present)

Research summary

Pulling from several intersecting interests along feminist and phenomenological paradigms in eating disorder psychopathology, Lili's doctoral research focuses on the qualitative experience of changes to one's 'felt' sense of self throughout eating disorder trajectory. Through the exploration of 'turning points' and the perceived, sought-after, embodied function that leads into (development) and out of disordered eating behaviour (recovery), Lili aims to improve current intervention methods by providing a robust ontological foundation to improve clinical understanding of these etiologically elusive and, often, 'treatment resistant' disorders.

Current research interests

- Self and identity processes in eating disorder development - Turning points in behaviour pertaining to recovery from eating disorders - Phenomenological & feminist theoretical perspectives for intersectional intervention and treatment of mental disorders - Ontological perspectives for eating disorder pathogenesis - Neurodiversity in eating disorders - Neurophenomenology, enactive cognition/embodiment research methodologies - Qualitative research methods

Past research interests

- Development of ‘normative discontent’ in women versus the ‘imaginary audience’ in adolescents (2019-2020) - Social media’s influence on identity development, appearance schemas, and anxiety in adolescents at risk of eating disorder development (2018-2020) - Sociocultural anthropology focus on eating disorder history and the medicalisation of the female body (2019) - Social media's influence on mental health (body image and empowerment via Feminist Perspective Theory) (2017-2019) - Neuropsychological conceptual inquiry into eating disorder development and experiences of hunger (2016-2018)

Knowledge exchange

  • PhD Clinical Psychology & DClin Psychology Mentor/Research Collaborator (Spring 2023 - Present)
  • Co-creator & facilitator of 'What's Weight Got To Do With It?', an online seminar series discussing weight stigma for Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2023 (Spring 2023)
  • Delivered lectures, 'Queries on the Border Between Illness & Disability Amongst Eating Disorders', for innovative disability studies undergraduate course (Spring 2022; Spring 2023)
  • PGR Clinical Psychology Mentor (Spring 2022)
  • Co-creator & facilitator of Figures of Speech, a campus-based literature initiative to raise awareness about weight stigma in PGR research  (Spring 2021)

Project activity

  • Doctoral thesis write-up (Ongoing)
  • Project 3: Conducted series of interviews with participants with lived experience of eating disorders (Autumn - Winter 2022)
    • Analysis: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Spring - Summer 2023)
  • Project 2: Conducted multi-perspective focus groups with healthcare professionals with and without lived experience of eating disorders (Summer 2022)
    • Analysis: Multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Autumn - Winter 2022)
  • Received IRB ethics approval on primary research project designs (Spring 2022)
  • Project 1: Conducted mixed-methods systematic review with a Best-Fit Framework Synthesis on understanding self and psychosomatic experiences in adults with eating disorders (Spring 2021-Spring 2022)
    • Theoretical framework construction (Autumn 2021) 
  • Member of a team from the EDB Research group working on investigating the impact of weight stigma in press (Autumn 2020-Present)

Past project grants

University of Edinburgh Student Experience Grant Recipient (Spring 2023) - Awarded to conduct an online weight stigma seminar series during Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2023

University of Edinburgh, School of Health in Social Science: InspirED Student Grant Recipient (Spring 2022) - Awarded to conduct PGR-led literary initiative for future clinicians and researchers to learn how to prevent stigmatising barriers in health care

Participant

  • University of Edinburgh’s Learning & Teaching Conference, ‘Investigate, Inquire, Innovate: exploring research-informed teaching practice’ (June 2023)*

  • International Conference, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Anorexia Nervosa (May 2023)

  • Neurodiversity--Shifting Paradigms in Mental Health, University of College Dublin (May 2023)

  • The 2023 Women’s Mental Health Conference (April 2023)

  • Implications of Double Empathy: Problems in Higher Education Conference (Jan 2023)

  • Body, Mind, & Medicine Conference (Oct 2022)

  • Body Peace Conference (Oct 2022)

  • International Conference of Eating Disorders (ICED) (June 2022)*

  • University of Reading: Reading Emotions Symposium (June 2022)

  • The 2022 Women’s Mental Health Conference (May 2022)

  • Eating Disorders International Conference (EDIC), 'Building Back Better, Faster, and Fairer' (March 2022)*

  • Scot DPN Conference (July 2021)

  • University of Edinburgh PGR Conference, 'Changing Times, Changing Minds' (May 2021)*

  • International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) (June 2020)

*conferences papers delivered/presented at, see details below

Papers delivered

  • Alexjuk, J., Smith, P. & Clark, L. (2023, June). Compassion & Empathy in Work & Life: Findings from an inter-disciplinary online PTAS-funded pilot course. Virtual paper presentation at the University of Edinburgh’s Learning & Teaching Conference, ‘Investigate, Inquire, Innovate: exploring research-informed teaching practice’.
  • Longhurst, P. & Clark, L. (2022, June). Health at Every Self: A not so (neuro)typical approach to preventing and treating eating disorders. Virtual poster presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED).
  • Clark, L., Nimbley, E., Newman, E., & Quayle, E. (2022, March). Psychosomatic dimensions of the self for adults with eating disorders: a mixed-methods systematic review and best-fit framework synthesis. Virtual paper presented at the Eating Disorders International Conference (EDIC)
  • Clark, L., Nimbley, E., Newman, E., & Quayle, E. (2021, May). Primary Findings: dimensions of self for adults with eating disorders: a mixed-methods systematic review and best-fit framework synthesis. Virtual paper presented at the University of Edinburgh PGR Conference, ‘Changing Times, Changing Minds’.

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