Denise Wilfley
Scott Rudolph University Professor
- Phone: 314-286-2079
- Email: wilfleyd@nospam.wustl.edu
Additional Titles & Roles
- Director, Weight Management & Eating Disorders Program
- Professor of Public Health
- Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
- Professor of Medicine
- Professor of Pediatrics
Education & Training
- Ph.D.: University of Missouri Columbia, 1989
Major Awards
- Clinical Care Councilor, The Obesity Society, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- K24 Midcareer NIH Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Special Government Employee member, Center for Scientific Review Advisory Council, 2018, 2019
- Oded Bar-Or Award for Excellence in Pediatric Obesity Research, 2018
- Vice President, The Obesity Society – Pediatric Obesity Section, 2011, 2012
- Secretary/Treasurer, The Obesity Society – Pediatric Obesity Section, 2010, 2011
Areas of Clinical Interest
Etiology, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders and obesity.
Research Interests
Dr. Wilfley’s program of research centers on the causes, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders and obesity among children, adolescents, and adults. Current programs of research include: (1) the classification, characterization, assessment, and risk factors of eating and weight disorders; (2) the development of effective treatments for individuals suffering from eating disorders and obesity; and (3) the development of innovative and cost-effective methods for early intervention and prevention of eating disorders and obesity.
Recent Publications
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Youth with severe obesity do not demonstrate increased eating disorder symptoms following family-based behavioral obesity treatment
Danielsen, Y. S., Skjåkødegård, H. F., Wilfley, D., Conlon, R. P. K., Molde, H., Skodvin, V. A. & Juliusson, P. B., Dec 2026, In: Eating and Weight Disorders. 31, 1, 38.
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Population-based RCT of a digital cognitive-behavioural guided self-help intervention for anxiety, depression and eating disorders in college students
Newman, M. G., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Baik, S. Y., Zainal, N. H., Calderon, A., Rackoff, G. N., Firebaugh, M. L., Rojas-Ashe, E., Leykin, Y., Lew, D., Eisenberg, D., Taylor, C. B. & Wilfley, D. E., Jul 2026, In: Nature Human Behaviour. 10, 7, p. 1246-1259 14 p.
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Family-Based Behavioral Treatment for Childhood Obesity Adapted to Align with the MOHealthNet Medicaid Benefit: Results of the Missouri Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study
MO CORD Research Group, Jun 1 2026, In: Childhood Obesity. 22, 4, p. 211-222 12 p.
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Prevention of Excess Weight Gain Among Adolescent Military-Dependents at High Risk for Obesity
Ranzenhofer, L. M., Shank, L. M., Thompson, K., Schvey, N., Wilfley, D. E., Young, J. F., Burke, N. L., Olsen, C. H., Lavender, J. M., Schrag, R., Jorgensen, S., Quinlan, J., Klein, D. A., Haigney, M., Yanovski, J. A., Sbrocco, T. & Tanofsky-Kraff, M., Jun 2026, In: Obesity. 34, S1, p. 54-64 11 p.
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User-Centered Development of a Chatbot for Diverse Adolescents at High Risk for Eating Disorders
Gullo, N. A., Goldberg, J., Howe, C. P., Smith, A. C., Firebaugh, M. L., Horton, M., Kouveliotes, M., Larson, G., Wilfley, D. E., Fowler, L. A. & Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Apr 2026, In: International Journal of Eating Disorders. 59, 4, p. 724-735 12 p.