Barbara E. Wolfe, PhD, APRN, CS, FAAN

Office

Cushing Hall 433 A
617-552-1804
wolfeb@bc.edu

educational history

• PhD Boston College
• MSN Yale University
• BSN Syracuse University

recent publications

Articles

• Smith, A. T., & Wolfe, B. E. (2008).  Amenorrhea as a diagnostic criterion for AN: A review of the evidence & implications for practice. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 14, 209-215.
  
• Wolfe, B. E, Talley S. L., Smith, A. (2008). Psychopharmacologic first-line strategies in the treatment of major depression and psychosis: A survey of APNS. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 14, 144-151.
  
• Daley, K. A., Jimerson, D. C., Heatherton, T. F., Metzger, E. D., & Wolfe, B. E. (2008), State self-esteem ratings in women with bulimia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in remission. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 149, 159-163.
  
• Keel, P. K., Wolfe, B. E., Gravener, J. A., & Jimerson, D. C. (2007). Co-morbidity and disorder-related distress and impairment in purging disorder. Psychological Medicine, 10, 1-8 [Epub ahead of print].
• Wolfe, B. E. (2007). Issues of body weight and eating behavior in psychiatric-mental health nursing practice [editorial]. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, 13, 343-344.
• Keel, P. K., Wolfe, B. E., Liddle, R. A., De Young, K. P., & Jimerson, D. C. (2007). Clinical features and physiological response to a test meal in purging disorder and bulimia nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64, 1058-1066.
• Morgan, J. C., Wolfe, B. E., Metzger, E. D., Jimerson, D. C. (2007). Obsessive-compulsive characteristics in women who have recovered from bulimia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 381-385
• Wolfe, B. E. (2006). Advances in contemporary mental health nursing: A continuous process [Epilogue]. Contemporary Nurse, 21(1), 160-162.
  
• Wolfe, B. E. (2005).  Reproductive health in women with eating disorders.  Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 34, 225-263.
  
• Wolfe, B. E., Jimerson, D. C., Orlova, C., & Mantzoros, C. S. (2004).  Effect of dieting on plasma leptin, soluble leptin receptor, adiponectin and resistin levels in healthy volunteers.  Clinical Endocrinology, 61, 32-338.
  
• Jimerson, D. C., & Wolfe, B. E. (2004).  Neuropeptides in eating disorders.  CNS Spectrum, 9, 516-522.
  
• Wolfe, B. E., & Gimby, L. B. (2003).  Caring for the hospitalized patient with an eating disorder.  Nursing Clinics of North America, 38, 75-99.

Books & Book Chapters

• Wolfe, B. E., Smith, A. T., & Cullinan, D. L. (in press). Eating disorders. In P. J. Allen & J. A. Vessed (Eds.), Primary care of the child with a chronic condition (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
  
• Wolfe, B. E. & Simonelli, M. C. (2008).  Eating disorders in pregnancy.  In P. J. Hillard (Ed.), The 5-Minute OB/GYN Clinical Consult (pp. 446-447).  Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
  
• Wolfe, B. E., Metzger, E. D., Flanagan, L., & Jimerson, D. C. (2007).  Eating disorders.  In T. M. Buttaro, J. Trybulski, P. P. Bailey, & J. Sandberg-Cook (Eds.), Primary care: A collaborative practice (3rd ed.).  St. Louis, MO: Mosby.
  
• Jimerson, D. C., & Wolfe, B. E. (2006). Psychobiology of eating disorders. In S. Wonderlich, J. Mitchell, M. de Zwaan, & Steiger H. (Eds.), Eating disorders review: Part II (pp.1-15). Oxford, UK: Radcliffe Publishing.
  
• Jimerson, D. C., Wolfe, B. E., & Naab, S. (2006).  Eating disorders.  In C. E. Coffey, R. A. Brumback, D. R. Rosenberg, & K. Voeller (Eds.), Pediatric Neuropsychiatry (pp. 307-320).  Philadelphia, PA:  Lippincott Williams & Wilkins..
  
  

Dr. Wolfe’s research focuses on the psychobiology of eating disorders. In particular, her work focuses on the relationship between neurotransmitter functioning and mood, impulsivity, and eating behavior. One of her current projects explores the regulation of the neurotransmitter serotonin in anorexia nervosa and its relationship to treatment response (Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health). Her research also explores the influence of dieting on neurotransmitter precursor availability and related behaviors.

Dr. Wolfe received her BSN from Syracuse University, her MSN for Yale University, and PhD from Boston College. She is certified as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the specialty of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing. She is an active member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, serving as President from 2003-2004. She is also a member of the Eating Disorders Research Society, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

research interests

Psychobiology of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa), focusing on the role fo the neurotransmitter serotonin and its regulation of eating behavior, depression and impulsivity; examine the extent to which intermittent and/or persistent dieting may have a contributory role to the chronicity and risk for relapse of eating disorder symptoms in vulnerable populations.

appointments & awards

• NIH / NIMH, R01 Research Grant (MH057395, Competing Renewal); PI: B. E. Wolfe; Serotonin Regulation in Eating Disorders
  
• Member, Harvard Clinical Translational Science Center, Education and Training Executive Committee
  
• Member, American Psychiatric Association DSM-V Eating Disorders Work Group
  
• Member, Editorial Board, Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association
  
• Member, NIH, CSR, HOP IRG, Nursing Science: Adults and Older Adults Study Section
  
• Member, Editorial Review Panel, Advances in Nursing Science
• Member, Editorial Board, Harvard Mental Health Letter
• 2007 Excellence in Nursing Research Research Award, Massachusetts Association for Registered Nurses
• 2004 Nancy Valentine Excellence in Leadership Award, New England Chapter, American Psychiatric Nurses’ Association