Professional Profile

Current position

Director, Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital. Garda (Vr) Italy

I started to work at the Villa Garda Hospital in 1985, and from 1992 I am the head of the Department of Eating and Weight Disorders. The department includes 18 inpatients beds and 14 day-care beds for eating disorders patients, and 22 beds and 6 day-care beds for patients with severe obesity, and an outpatient service for eating disorder and obesity. In this department, in collaboration with Professors Christopher Fairburn from Oxford University, I have developed an original inpatient treatment for eating disorder based entirely on the enhanced cognitive behavior therapy (CBT-E), and the adaptation of CBT-E for adolescents with eating discorders that has been reccomended by the NICE guidelines.

Educational background

I completed my degree in Medicine (MD) at the University of Verona Italy in 1982. Then I completed the specialization in Endocrinology at the University of Verona Italy in 1985, and the specialization in Nutrition Science at the University of Modena Italy in 1989. I completed my studies with a four years specialization in Cognitive Behavior Therapy at the Associazione Psicologia Cognitiva at Rome in 1999.

Current research

My research interests and area of expertise include psychopathology and treatment outcome of eating disorders and obesity with a focus on implementing this research into real-world settings. My projects also comprise work on prevention of eating disorders and obesity.

Teaching activity

In 1997 I founded the First Certificate of Professional Training in Eating Disorders and Obesity. This one-year course, that it is now at the 23 editions, trains medical doctors, psychologists, and dietitian in cognitive behaviour for eating disorder and obesity.

I am regularly invited to conduct public workshops and seminars for clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, endocrinologists, GPs, surgeons, dieticians and other health professionals on the nature and treatment of obesity and eating disorders both in Italy and in the world

I have supervised the following eating disorders clinical services:

  • Bergen  University (Norway)
  • Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMHS) Brisbane (Australia)
  • Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (Australia)
  • American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology (Dubai)
  • Oslo (University (Norway)
  • Children Hospital di Minneapolis (USA)
  • Children Hospital Brisbane (Australia)
  • Children Hospital Melbourne (Australia)
  • Capio Anorexi Center AB di Sollentuna (Sweden)

I am member of the  CBT-E training group https://www.cbte.co

Riccardo Dalle Grave__Eating Disorders__Expert3L__APR2018__300p

 

I’ve been recognized by Expertscape as an expert in anorexia nervosa

http://expertscape.com/ex/anorexia+nervosa/c/it

 

 

Publications

Over the past 20 years, I have published several papers in international peer-reviewed journals (176 on PubMed). about 100 papers in Italian, 25 books in Italian, and the following books in English:

  • Dalle Grave , R., & el Khazen, C. (2022). Cognitive behaviour therapy for eating disorders in young people: a parents’ guide. London: Routledge.
  • Dalle Grave, R., Sartirana, M., & Calugi, S. (2021). Complex cases and comorbidity in eating disorders. Assessment and management. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature.
  • Dalle Grave, R., & Calugi, S. (2020). Cognitive behavior therapy for adolescents with eating disorders. New York: Guilford Press.
  • Dalle Grave , R. (2020). Nutrients Nutrition and Fitness Mental Health. Basel: MDPI.
  • Dalle Grave, R., Sartirana, M., El Ghoch, M., & Calugi, S. (2018). Treating obesity with personalized cognitive behavioral therapy. Cham: Springer.
  • Dalle Grave, R. (2013). Multistep cognitive behavioral therapy for eating disorders: Theory, practice, and clinical cases. New York: Jason Aronson.
  • Dalle Grave, R. (2012). Intensive cognitive behavior therapy for eating disorders. Hauppauge, NY: Nova.

Scientific journals

I am editor of the IJEDO (Italian Journal of Eating Disorders and Obesity)

I am member of the editorial board of

  • International Journal of Eating Disorders
  • European Eating Disorders Review
  • Journal of Eating Disorders (senior editor)
  • Eating and Weight Disorders
  • Nutrients

Professional affiliations

  • Fellow of Academy for Eating Disorders
  • Past-President of Associazione Italiana Disturbi dell’Alimentazione e del Peso (AIDAP)
  • Board member of the European Chapter of the Academy for Eating Disorders
  • Board member of Società Italiana di Psicopatologia dell’Alimentazione (SIPA)
  • Board member and treasure of Società Italiana Obesità (SIO)
  • Member of Eating Disorder Research Society
  • Member of European Council of Eating Disorders
  • Member of World Psychiatric Association, Eating Disorders Sections
  • Honorary member of Associazione Nazionale Specialisti in Scienza dell’Alimentazione (ANSISA)
  • Honorary member of Comitato Italiano per i Diritti delle Persone Affette da Obesità e Disturbi Alimentari (CIDO)
  • Honorary member of Società Italiana di Psicoterapia Cognitivo Comportamentale (CBT Italia)