SKAN Research Foundation Funds Innovative Research at UCSF to Advance Microbiome-Based Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa

Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation

Dr. Andrea Garber

Ground-breaking study at UCSF explores how the gut microbiome may hold the key to recovery

DAVIS, CA, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa (SKAN) Research Foundation is proud to announce its second funded research grant, awarded to Andrea K. Garber, PhD, RD, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). This innovative project will investigate a critical but overlooked question in anorexia nervosa (AN): how the gut microbiome affects recovery—and why so many patients struggle to regain weight and stay well.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most serious psychiatric illnesses, with high rates of relapse even after intensive treatment. While refeeding restores medical stability, it often doesn’t lead to lasting recovery. Emerging evidence suggests that the gut microbiome may play a critical (and previously underexplored) role in this process.

Dr. Garber’s team will examine how gut bacteria change during starvation and refeeding—and how those changes may actively work against recovery. Researchers are increasingly recognizing that while hospital refeeding is designed to nourish the body, it may overlook the needs of the microbiome. “I am grateful for the support of the SKAN Research Foundation,” said Dr. Garber. “By understanding how gut bacteria adapt during starvation and recovery, we can begin to design targeted nutritional strategies that support both metabolic stability and long-term healing.”

“This is exactly the kind of high-impact, translational research SKAN was created to support,” said David J. Kyle, Founder of the SKAN Research Foundation. “Dr. Garber’s work has the potential to fundamentally change how we approach treatment, moving beyond calories alone to address the underlying biology that drives recovery and relapse.”

By supporting innovative, mechanism-driven science, the SKAN Research Foundation aims to accelerate the development of more effective treatments and significantly reduce the number of deaths associated with AN by the end of the decade.

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About SKAN: The Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation is a California-based 501(c)(3) private foundation focused on funding innovative research on anorexia nervosa (AN). Its mission is to identify the root causes of AN and develop effective prevention and intervention strategies. We provide funding for proof-of-principle studies through targeted Requests for Proposals and expert evaluations. The Foundation’s vision is a world where no more young people are suffering and dying from the impacts of AN. For more information on the SKAN Research Foundation and its going research initiatives, please visit www.skanrf.org.

About UCSF: The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is exclusively focused on the health sciences and is dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. UCSF Health, which serves as UCSF’s primary academic medical center, is among the nation's top specialty hospitals and has affiliations throughout the Bay Area. UCSF School of Medicine also has a regional campus in Fresno. Learn more at www.ucsf.edu or see our Fact Sheet.

David J. Kyle
Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation
+1 410-960-1062
dkyle@skanrf.org
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