Emilie Lacroix

My research investigates barriers and disparities in access to care for eating disorders, with a focus on underserved regions, the experiences of gender-diverse people, and the intersection of eating disorders and substance use disorders.

Additionally, I examine body image development across the lifespan and its connections to disordered eating and mental health. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, as well as evidence synthesis approaches like systematic reviews and meta-analyses, my work aims to provide insights that help broaden access to care and dismantle systemic barriers to effective, evidence-based eating disorders treatment.

Education

• Ph.D. (Clinical Psychology) University of Calgary
• M.Sc. (Clinical Psychology) University of Calgary
• B.A. (Hons Psychology, German Language) McGill University

Selected publications

Lacroix, E., Fatur, K., Hay, P., Touyz, S. & Keshen, A. (2024). Psychedelics and the treatment of eating disorders: Considerations for future research and practice. Journal of Eating Disorders, 12(165).

Kuijper, L., Lacroix, E., Singh, G., Champagne, M., Beardy, B., Duboiz, R., Wood, L., Harper, M. J., Beck, K., Kisselgoff, M., Mann, K., Waugh, A. K. A., Thériault, C., Tait, M., Bombak, A. & Riediger, N. (2024). Experiences and perspectives of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Indigenous adults living in Manitoba. Appetite, 202.

Mittertreiner E.J., Couturier J., Simone M., Small C., Courtney-Martin G., Moisey L., Panahi S., Lacroix E. (2024). Overcoming barriers in eating disorder care: Advances, gaps, and recommendations for equitable assessment and treatment. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Magel, C. A., Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2024). Shifting goalposts: Widening discrepancies between girls' actual and ideal bodies predict disordered eating from preadolescence to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology.

Rudy, L. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Substance use disorders in hospice palliative care (HPC): A narrative review of challenges and a case for physician intervention. Palliative & Supportive Care, 1-9.

Mittertreiner, E., Hunter, A. & Lacroix, E. (2024). Nutritional considerations for gender-diverse people: A qualitative mini-review. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11.

Miller, M., Boulos, L., Bartel, S., Hunter, A., & Lacroix, E. (2023). Integrated treatment for comorbid eating disorders and substance use disorders: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 21(12).

Lacroix, E., Wilson, S., McGue, M., Iacono, W. G., & von Ranson, K. M. (2023). Trajectories and personality predictors of eating pathology development in girls from preadolescence to adulthood. Clinical Psychological Science.

Lacroix, E., Smith, A.J., Husain, I.A., Orth, U., von Ranson, K.M. (2023). Normative body image development: A longitudinal meta-analysis of mean-level change. Body Image, 45.

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2021). Body image disturbance partially explains eating-related psychosocial impairment in food addiction. Eating Behaviors, 41.

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Lived experience and defining addictive-like eating: A synthesis of qualitative research. Current Addiction Reports, 7(4).

Oliveira, E., Kim, H. S., Lacroix, E., de Fatima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Periera, D., Cabral, J. R., Bernstein, P. S., Garcia, X., Ritchie, E. V., & Tavares, H. (2020). The clinical utility of food addiction: Characteristics and psychosocial impairments in a treatment-seeking sample. Nutrients, 12(11).

Oliveira, E., Lacroix, E., Stravogiannis, A. L. C., de Fátima Vasques, M., Durante, C. R., Duran, É. P., Pereira, D., Cabral, J. R., & Tavares, H. (2020). Treatment of food addiction: Preliminary results. Archives of Clinical Psychiatry, 47(5).

Lacroix, E. & von Ranson, K. M. (2020). Prevalence of social, cognitive, and emotional impairment among individuals with food addiction. Eating and Weight Disorders.

Lacroix, E., Atkinson, M., Garbett, K. M., & Diedrichs, P. (2020). One size does not fit all: Trajectories of body esteem development and their predictors in early adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 1-10.

Teaching

• Undergraduate courses:
  • PSYC 4303 - Topical Seminar in Clinical Psychology - Addiction
  • PSYC 3151 & 3152 - Basic Research Seminar
  • PSYC 4110 - Honours Thesis Research Seminar
  • PSYC 3313 - Psychological Testing
• Graduate courses:
  • PSYC 6311 - Adult Therapy Skills

  Joining the lab

  I am planning to accept a new clinical or experimental MA/PhD student for Fall 2026. If you’re interested in applying, see the frequently asked questions before reaching out.