EMILY CHOQUETTE

The Choquette Laboratory

Our Research Approach

Our goals are to understand the mechanisms of body image disturbance in eating disorders, and to improve treatment outcomes using digital mental health and novel therapeutic techniques.

Current research aims:

Contribute to the theoretical understanding of the mechanistic roles of body image disturbance and interoception in anorexia nervosa using a multimodal approach including behavioral measurements, self-report, neuroimaging, and experimental manipulations (Grant funded by National Institutes of Mental Health: 1K23 MH135213).
Assess the clinical efficacy of Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy via floatation (i.e., Floatation-REST) paired with psychotherapeutic techniques for the treatment of body image disturbance in women with anorexia nervosa (1K23 MH135213).
Evaluate the Tulsa Life Chart (TLC) for its applicability in both clinical and research settings. The TLC is a digital mental health assessment tool, employing data visualization for the purposes of 1) enhancing patients' insight into their mental health history 2) facilitating communication between patients and healthcare providers and 3) providing a novel and simplified approach for healthcare providers to access patient psychosocial history. Ongoing projects focus on clinical translation of the TLC to real world clinical settings.

CONTACT DR. CHOQUETTE

Research Program Highlights

Main Questions

Can we improve treatment of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders by understanding and targeting behavioral and biological mechanisms?
How can digital mental health tools like the Tulsa Life Chart helps be leveraged in a to improve engagement in treatment and treatment outcomes?

Approach

We apply multi-modal (i.e., behavioral, physiological, self-report, and experimental manipulation) approaches to develop mechanistically informed interventions and prevention strategies.

Future Directions

Develop personalized therapeutic techniques for eating disorders, tailored to individual risk and resilience factors.

Scientific Background

Dr. Choquette received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University, and her master’s and PhD at the University of South Florida under the mentorship of Diana Rancourt, Ph.D. and Kevin Thompson. Ph.D. Her graduate research focused primarily on the functional relationship between alcohol use and disordered eating. She received generalist clinical training with a focus on health psychology, eating disorders, and trauma. She has experience using a broad range of evidence-based psychotherapy approaches for a diverse range of clinical presentations. She completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the Michael E. DeBakey Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (MEDVAMC) in Houston, Texas in 2021.

Dr. Choquette joined LIBR in 2021 as a postdoctoral research fellow under the mentorship of Robin Aupperle, Ph.D. and Sahib Khalsa, MD. During her fellowship, she led projects centered on the further development, clinical translation, and implementation of a digital mental health tool, the Tulsa Life Chart. She was also involved in clinical trials examining an interoceptively focused therapeutic tool for anorexia nervosa. In December 2023, Dr. Choquette was promoted to Associate Investigator at LIBR, where she is currently working on her K23 Patient Oriented Career Development Award entitled “Interoceptive mechanisms of body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa.”