Professor (tenured)
Director, Counseling Psychology Program
Ph.D. (2000), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests

My research interests are in the areas of eating disorders and obesity. I am particularly interested in understanding more about cultural and environmental factors that influence expression of genetic predispositions to eating problems. I also am interested in developing and evaluating culturally sensitive interventions to promote healthy eating and exercising behaviors, particularly in community settings.

• If school cafeterias force children to take fruits and vegetables on their lunch trays, will students eat them?
• How can we reduce childhood obesity?

Select Recent Publications

Mazzeo, S.E., Kelly, N. R., Stern, M., Gow, R. W., Cotter, E. W., Thornton, L. M., Evans, R. K., & Bulik, C. M. (2014). Parent skills training to enhance weight loss in overweight children: Evaluation of NOURISH. Eating Behaviors, 15, 225-229. PMID: 24854808.

 

Mazzeo, S. E., Kelly, N. R., Stern, M., Palmberg, A. A., Belgrave, F. Z., Tanofsky-Kraff, M., Latzer, Y., & Bulik, C. M. (2013). LIBER8 design and methods: An integrative intervention for loss of control eating among African American and White adolescent girls. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 34, 174-185. PMID:23142669.

 

Bean, M.K., Caccavale, L., Adams, E.A., Burnette, C.B., LaRose, J., Raynor, H., Wickham III, E.P., & Mazzeo, S.E. (in press). The role of parents in adolescent obesity treatment: A systematic review. Pediatrics. PMID in process.

 

Burnette, C. B., Boutte, R. L, Sosnowski, D. S., & Mazzeo, S. E. (in press). Measurement invariance of the SATAQ-4 in Black and White undergraduate women. Body Image. PMID: 31846907

 

Gerke, C. K., Mazzeo, S. E., & Kliewer, W. (in press). The role of depressive and dissociative symptoms in the relationship between childhood trauma and disordered eating. Child Abuse and Neglect.

 

Stern, M., Mazzeo, S. E., Gerke, C., Porter, J. S., Bean, M. K., & Laver, J. (in press). Gender, ethnicity, psychosocial factors and quality of life among severely overweight, treatment-seeking adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

 

Mazzeo, S. E., Mitchell, K. S., Gerke, C. K., & Bulik, C. M. (in press). Parental feeding style and eating attitudes: Influences on children's eating behavior. Current Nutrition and Food Science.

 

Mitchell, K., Mazzeo, S., Rausch, S., & Cooke, K.  (in press).  Innovative interventions for disordered eating: Evaluating dissonance-based and yoga interventions. International Journal of Eating Disorders.Stern, M., Mazzeo, S. E., Porter, J., Gerke, C., Bryan, D., & Laver, J. (in press). Eating and exercise behaviors of obese African American girls and their mothers. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings.

Courses Taught

• Theories of Counseling and Personality, graduate level
• Stress & Its Management, undergraduate level
• Health Psychology, undergraduate level
• Introduction to the Helping Relationship, undergraduate level
• Research Internship, undergraduate level

Recent Grant

An Integrative Intervention for Binge Eating Among Adolescent Girls. September 2010-July 2013. Principal Investigator. NIMH R34 Award, $450,000 direct cost total.

Award

• Excellence in Scholarship Award, Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences, 2009

News Features

• Mazzeo, Parr selected as Translational Research Fellows
• Drs. Rose Corona, Suzanne Mazzeo and Bruce Rybarczyk receive VCU Community Engagement Grants