Elevating the Field of Eating Disorders Through Scholarship and Thoughtfulness: Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Michael Strober.

Abstract

This Virtual Issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders honors the legacy of the late Dr. Michael Strober in the eating disorders and child psychiatry fields. Having served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Eating Disorders from 1983 to 2012, Dr. Strober elevated the quality of science conducted in the eating disorders field. His frank feedback and encouraging words inspired many junior researchers to sharpen their work and to think deeply about their results. An incisive thinker, eloquent writer, and gifted clinician, Dr. Strober was a role model for psychologists in clinical leadership positions and demonstrated that it is indeed possible to be a highly effective all-rounder. In this issue, we present an annotated selection of Dr. Strober's publications in the journal over the past decades to illustrate the evolution of his thinking and the seeds of what have become major directions in the field, including fear conditioning and genetics. By presenting this collection of his work, we encourage all investigators to read broadly and deeply and to identify and acknowledge those incisive scholars who have built the foundation upon which our work today stands.