Ginger Nicol

Ginger Nicol

Associate Professor of Psychiatry

Additional Titles & Roles


  • Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Residency Research Education Program (CAP-PRREP)
  • Director, Digital and Health Integrative Research, Employee and Family Mental Health & Wellness Center
  • Director, Mobile Health Research Core (MHRC)
  • Co-Director, Healthy Mind Lab

Education & Training


  • Postdoctoral Training: NIDA Research Fellowship: Biomedical Research Training in Drug Abuse, 2010
  • Fellowship: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2007
  • Residency: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2005
  • MD: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2002
  • BA: Journalism & Mass Communications: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 1998
  • Obesity Medicine Board Certification: American Board of Obesity Medicine, 2020

Major Awards


  • Eli Robins Award for Excellence in Clinical Psychiatry, Teaching and Research, 2007
  • Mortimer Goodman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Mental Health through MO NAMI, 2014
  • Resident Mentoring Award, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 2018
  • Child Fellowship Mentoring Award, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 2019

Areas of Clinical Interest


Obesity and metabolic health in children, adults and older adults with severe mental illness; eating disorders; medical weight management.

Research Interests


Identification and prevention of cardiometabolic risk in mentally ill populations, psychopharmacology, medical and behavioral treatment of obesity and eating disorders in children, adults and older adults.

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Key Publications


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    Funded Research Projects


    Nutrition & Obesity Research Center(PI):Metabolic Effects of Metformin in Obese Antipsychotic Treated Youth
    NIAMSD(Significant Contributor):Purposeful Understanding of Molecular Mechanisms in Pediatric Exercise Discovery (PUMMPED)
    NICHD(PI):3/4-Metformin in Youths with Antipsychotic-related Weight Gain
    Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute(Significant Contributor):Genetics and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (G-PCOR) Web Portal
    Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute(Significant Contributor):Bringing Data about Genetic Susceptibility Factors to Outcome Researchers Through Engaging Stakeholders: The Bridge Project
    National Eating Disorders Association(PI):Establishing and implementing a research infrastructure for eating disorders in a clinical setting
    Children’s Discovery Institute(Significant Contributor):Genetic, molecular, and socio-behavioral data for precision medicine in adolescent bariatric surgery
    Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute(Significant Contributor):Optimizing Outcomes in Treatment-Resistant Depression in Older Adults
    Alkermes, Inc.(PI):A Phase 3 Study to Assess the Long Term Safety, Tolerability, and Durability of Treatment Effect of ALKS 3831 in Subjects with Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform Disorder, or Bipolar I Disorder
    NIMH(Significant Contributor):Discovery and CRISPR validation of genetic factors associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain and cardiometabolic risk
    ICTS(PI):Intermittent Fasting in Obese Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorder
    NIH(Significant Contributor):PRomoting OptiMIzed methodS to rEduce cardiometabolic risk (PROMISE)
    ICTS(PI):Ecological Daily Needs Assessment for Behavioral Weight Loss in Mentally Ill Kids
    NIDDK(Significant Contributor):Psychological influences on obesogenic behaviors among healthcare workers: Impact on weight and intervention efficacy
    NIMH(PI):Age-dependent CRISPR-measured Effects of Antipsychotics on Adiposity
    NCATS(Significant Contributor):Washington University Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences: Network Capacity – Liaison to Trial Innovation Centers
    NIMH(Significant Contributor):Adaptation of an Evidence-based Interactive Obesity Treatment Approach (iOTA) for Obesity Prevention in Early Serious Mental Illness: iOTAeSMI