Two universities, two continents, one life-saving goal

Carolina and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden have similar-sounding names, but that’s not the only thing they share. Both institutions are working to save lives through research to unlock the mysteries behind eating disorders.

The research is led by Cynthia Bulik, Distinguished Professor of Eating Disorders at UNC-Chapel Hill, who splits her time between Carolina and Karolinska.

“Science has changed so much over time,” Bulik said. “It is all about team science. The really unique piece about having appointments both at UNC and at Karolinska is that you have the resources of both institutions at your fingertips.”

In 2014, Bulik (Psychiatry/Nutrition) and her husband Patrick Sullivan (Genetics/Psychiatry) received special grants for foreign scientists from the Swedish Research Council. These special ten-year awards enable Bulik and Sullivan to spend half of their time at Karolinska as professors in the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Both have been collaborating with Karolinska for years, Bulik on genetic and environmental risk factors for eating disorders, and Sullivan on the genetics of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.