C. Alix Timko, PhD
Areas of expertise: Eating disorders
Locations: Middleman Family Pavilion
About C. Alix Timko, PhD
C. Alix Timko, Ph.D. is a Psychologist and Director of Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Research in the Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is certified in Family Based Treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. In addition, she has expertise in Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for youth with eating disorders.
Dr. Timko has taught numerous undergraduate and graduate level courses, including ones focused on child psychopathology, research methods and statistics, and cognitive-behavioral interventions. At CHOP, Dr. Timko provides research supervision and opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as post-doctoral fellows. She provides clinical supervision to both externs and interns in the use of Family Based Treatment for youth with eating disorders.
Dr. Timko’s research interests include the treatment and prevention of eating disorders, identifying and targeting maintenance factors in anorexia nervosa, and understanding sex differences in eating disorders. She has a particular interest in the role of neurocognition in eating disorders. She has published more than 75 articles, five book chapters, and written two books on the topic of eating disorders. Dr. Timko has received funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to investigate the impact of Cognitive Remediation Therapy on flexibility in youth with anorexia and to develop an acceptance-based family treatment for anorexia. She serves on the editorial board for a number of peer-reviewed journals.
Titles
Psychologist
Director of Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Research, Eating Disorder Assessment and Treatment Program
Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Certifications
Family Based Treatment – Training Institute for Child and Adolescent Eating Disorders
Awards and Honors
2022, Nominated, Outstanding Mentor Award, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy
2020-2021, National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program - Competitive Renewal
2018-2020, National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
2016-present, Eating Disorder Research Society
2008-present, Academy of Eating Disorders
2006-present, Association for Contextual Behavioral Science
1999-present, Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Editorial and Academic Positions
Editorial positions
2015-present, Editorial Board - Eating and Weight Disorders
Ad Hoc Reviewer
2013-present, PLoS One
2011-present, Mindfulness
2007-present, Eating and Weight Disorders
2006-present, Appetite
2005-present, Eating Behaviors
Education & training
Undergraduate Degree
BS in Psychology/German - St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY
Graduate Degree
PhD in Clinical Psychology - Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
MA in Clinical Health Psychology – MCP Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, PA
Internship
Clinical Psychology, Center for Counseling and Student Development, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
Publications
Selected Publications
2024
Cooper, M; Mears, C; Heckert, K; Orloff, NC; Peebles, R; Timko, CA: The Buffet Challenge: A behavioral assessment of eating behavior in adolescents with an eating disorder. Journal of Eating Disorders 12(1): 8, Jan 2024 Notes: doi:10.1186/s40337-024-00968-3.
Joel, MA; Cooper, M; Peebles, R; Albenberg, L; Timko, CA : Clinical Characterization of Co-Morbid Autoimmune Disease and Eating Disorders: A Retrospective Chart Review. Eating Disorders Journal of Treatment and Prevention 25: 1-16, Jan 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2306437.
Timko, CA, Schnabel, J., Orloff, NC.: The importance of improving cognitive flexibility in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: The case for cognitive remediation therapy. International Journal of Eating Disorders Feb 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1002/eat.24164.
Cooper, M., Connors, C., Orloff, NC., Herrington, JD., Timko, CA: Therapeutic Alliance in Family-Based Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa: In-Person versus Telehealth. Journal of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy 31(3): e3017, June 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1002/cpp.3017.
2022
Bhattacharya, A., Cooper, M., McAdams, C., Peebles, R., Timko, C.A.: Cultural Shifts in the Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa: The case of Orthorexia Nervosa. Appetite 1(170: 105869), 2022 Notes: DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105869
2021
Timko, C.A., Bhattacharya, A., Fitzpatrick, K.K., Howe, H., Rodriguez, D., Mears, C., Heckert, K., Ubel, P.A., Ehrenreich-May, J. and Peebles, R.: The shifting perspectives study protocol: Cognitive remediation therapy as an adjunctive treatment to family based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Contemporary Clinical Trials 103: 106313, April 2021 Notes: doi:10.1016/j.cct.2021.106313
PubMed
Publications
2015
Dakanalis, A., Timko, C.A., Carrà, G., Pla-Sanjuanelo, J.,Volpato, C., Clerici, M., Riva, G., Zanetti, A.: Mechanisms of influence of body checking on binge eating. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology 15: 93-104. doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.03.003, 2015.
Timko, C.A., Zucker, N., Herbert, J., Rodriguez, D., Merwin, R.: An open trial of Acceptance-based Separated Family Treatment (ASFT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa. Behaviour Research and Therapy 69: 63-74. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.03.011, 2015.
2014
Hormes JM, Orloff NC, Timko CA. Chocolate craving and disordered eating: Beyond the gender divide? Appetite. 2014 Dec;83:185-93.
Hormes JM, Kearns B, Timko CA. Craving Facebook? Behavioral addiction to online social networking and its association with emotion regulation deficits. Addiction. 2014 Dec;109(12):2079-88.
Dakanalis A, Timko CA, Carrà G, Clerici M, Zanetti MA, Riva G, Caccialanza R. Testing the original and the extended dual-pathway model of lack of control over eating in adolescent girls: A two-year longitudinal study. Appetite. 2014 Nov;82:180-93.
Timko CA, Martin LM, Juarascio AS, Faherty A, Kalodner C. Body acceptance: An under-explored yet important mediator of the relationship between body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science 3: 203-211, doi: 10.1016/j.jcbs.2014.01.002, 2014.
Martin LM, Vildarga-Plumb JC, Timko CA. Examining the relationship amongst varieties of interpersonal valuing and mindfulness processes in eating pathology. Mindfulness 5: 111-123, 2014.
Dakanalis A, Timko CA, Zanetti MA, Rinaldi L, Prunas A, Carrà G, Riva G, Clerici M. Attachment insecurities, maladaptive perfectionism, and eating disorder symptoms: A latent mediated and moderated structural equation modeling analysis across diagnostic groups. Psychiatry Res. 2014 Jan 30;215(1):176-84.
Dakanalis A, Timko CA, Clerici M, Zanetti MA, Riva G. Comprehensive examination of the transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral model of eating disorders in males. Eat Behav. 2014 Jan;15(1):63-7.
Dakanalis A, Timko CA, Favagrossa L, Riva G, Zanetti MA, Clerici M. Why do only a minority of men report severe levels of eating disorder symptomatology, when so many report substantial body dissatisfaction? Examination of exacerbating factors. Eat Disord. 2014;22(4):292-305.
2013
Dakanalis A, Timko CA, Madeddu F, Volpato C, Clerici M, Riva G, Zanetti MA. Are the male body dissatisfaction and drive for muscularity scales reliable and valid instruments? J Health Psychol. 2015 Jan;20(1):48-59. doi: 10.1177/1359105313498108. Epub 2013 Aug 29.
Juarascio AS, Shaw J, Forman E, Herbert JD, Timko CA, Butryn M, Bunnell D, Matteucci AJ, Lowe MR. Acceptance and commitment therapy as a novel treatment for eating disorders: An initial test of efficacy and mediation. Behav Modif. 2013 Jul;37(4):459-89.
Merwin RM, Zucker NL,Timko CA. A pilot study of acceptance-based separated family treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Behav Modif. 2013 Jul;37(4):459-89. doi: 10.1177/0145445513478633. Epub 2013 Mar 8.
Yean C, Benau EG, Dakanalis A, Hormes JM, Perone J, Timko CA. The relationship of sex and sexual orientation to self-esteem, body shape satisfaction, and eating disorder symptomatology. Front Psychol. 2013 Nov 27;4:887. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00887.
2012
Timko CA, Chubski J, Hormes J. Will the real vegetarian please stand up? Eating disorder symptomatology and its relationship to true vegetarianism. Appetite. 2012 Jun;58(3):982-90.
Timko CA, Juarascio AS, Chowansky A. The effect of a pre-load experiment on subsequent food consumption: Caloric and macronutrient intake in the days following a pre-load manipulation. Appetite. 2012 Apr;58(2):747-53.
Books
Timko CA, Eifert G, Harres A. Akzeptanz- und Commitment therapie bei Anorexia nervosa: Ein Leitfaden für die Behandlung mit ACT/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa: A Guide for Treatment using ACT, Beltz Verlag: Weinheim, 2013.
Eifert G, Timko CA. Mehr vom Leben: Wege aus der Anorexie für Betroffene und Angehörige – das ACT-Selbsthilfebuch/More from Life: An Escape from Anorexia for Sufferers and their Families – an ACT self-help book, Beltz Verlag: Weinheim, 2012.
Editorials, Reviews, Chapters
Timko, CA. Impact of dieting behavior on adolescents: Guidelines for adolescents and parents. In: Y. Latzer, O. Tzischinsky (Eds). The Dance of Sleeping and Eating Among Adolescents. Nova Science Publishers, New York, 2012, pp. 261-273.