Amanda Downey, MD

Dr. Amanda Downey is a pediatrician and psychiatrist who cares for adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. She works with patients and their families to develop a treatment plan that honors their unique strengths and challenges. Through education, advocacy and research, she strives to dismantle the systems that increase risk for eating disorders and improve evidence-based eating disorder treatments. She is the assistant medical director of the UCSF Eating Disorders Program and member of the UCSF Translational Psychedelic Research Program (TrPR).
Education
2022 - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion Training, University of California
Fellowship, 2020 - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Residency, 2020 - Pediatrics, Adult Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
M.D., 2015 - Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
B.A., 2011 - Spanish Literature, The Ohio State University
Honors and Awards
  • CTSI KL2 Scholars Award, University of California, San Francisco, 2024-2026
  • Gabrielle and Harold Carlson Psychopharmacology Research Award, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2023-2025
  • Society of Hellman Fellows Award, University of California, 2023-2025
  • Pilot and Feasibility Award, UCSF Nutrition Obesity Research Core, 2023-2024
  • Pilot Research Award for Early Career Faculty, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2022-2024
  • Anne E. Dyson Child Advocacy Award, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2019
Websites

  1. Mikhail ME, Cordell KD, Downey AE, Snowden LR, Accurso EC. Predictors of Outpatient and Inpatient Service Utilization Among Publicly-Insured Youth With Eating Disorders. The International journal of eating disorders 2024. PMID: 39444291


  2. Nagata JM, Lee S, Downey AE. Addressing Bone Health in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa-No Bones About It. JAMA network open 2024. PMID: 39480429


  3. Downey AE, Gorrell S. Innovative and Emerging Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa. Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing) 2024. PMID: 38988458


  4. Nagata JM, Nguyen A, Vargas R, Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. Sex differences in electrolyte abnormalities indicating refeeding syndrome risk among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. Journal of eating disorders 2024. PMID: 38790035


  5. Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Woolley J, Raymond-Flesch M. Psilocybin therapy and anorexia nervosa: a narrative review of safety considerations for researchers and clinicians. Journal of eating disorders 2024. PMID: 38659049


  6. Downey AE, Bradley ER, Lerche AS, O'Donovan A, Krystal AD, Woolley J.. A Plea for Nuance: Should People with a Family History of Bipolar Disorder Be Excluded from Clinical Trials of Psilocybin Therapy? Psychedelic Medicine 2024. PMID:


  7. Downey AE, Cordell K, Snowden LR, Accurso EC. Characterizing Medical Complications in Publicly Insured Youth With Eating Disorders. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine 2024. PMID: 38323960


  8. Nagata JM, Vargas R, Sanders AE, Stuart E, Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Nguyen A, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. Clinical characteristics of hospitalized male adolescents and young adults with atypical anorexia nervosa. The International journal of eating disorders 2024. PMID: 38205657


  9. Garber AK, Cheng J, Accurso EC, Buckelew SM, Downey AE, Le Grange D, Gorrell S, Kapphahn CJ, Kreiter A, Moscicki AB, Golden NH. Short-term outcomes of the study of refeeding to optimize inpatient gains for patients with atypical anorexia nervosa. The International journal of eating disorders 2024. PMID: 38179719


  10. Downey AE, Odette M, Sanders AE, Kuykendall M, Saunders E, Nagata JM, Forsberg S, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. What medical providers need to elevate outpatient care for adolescents and young adults with binge-eating disorder: A novel protocol. The International journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 38130097


  11. Nagata JM, Chaphekar AV, Vargas R, Nguyen A, Downey AE, Patel KP, Ganson KT, Stuart E, Vendlinski S, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. Sex differences in cholesterol and triglyceride levels among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. The International journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37864342


  12. Nagata JM, Smith-Russack Z, Paul A, Saldana GA, Shao IY, Al-Shoaibi AAA, Chaphekar AV, Downey AE, He J, Murray SB, Baker FC, Ganson KT. The social epidemiology of binge-eating disorder and behaviors in early adolescents. Journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37833810


  13. Gorrell S, Vendlinski SS, Thompson AS, Downey AE, Kramer R, Hail L, Clifton S, Forsberg S, Reilly EE, Saunders E, Buckelew SM, Le Grange D. Modification of an inpatient medical management protocol for pediatric Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: improving the standard of care. Journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37737186


  14. Downey AE, Boyd M, Chaphekar AV, Woolley J, Raymond-Flesch M. "But the reality is it's happening": A qualitative study of eating disorder providers about psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. The International journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37551650


  15. Golden NH, Kapphahn CJ, Cheng J, Kreiter A, Downey AE, Accurso EC, Machen VI, Adams SH, Buckelew SM, Moscicki AB, Le Grange D, Garber AK. Course and outcome in individuals with atypical anorexia nervosa: Findings from the Study of Refeeding to Optimize iNpatient Gains (StRONG). The International journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37507351


  16. Gorrell S, Downey AE, Saunders E, Accurso EC, Buckelew S, Kreiter A, Le Grange D, Garber AK. Parental self-efficacy: Longitudinal impact on clinical outcomes across levels of care in adolescent anorexia nervosa. The International journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 37272755


  17. Downey AE, Richards A, Tanner AB. Linear growth in young people with restrictive eating disorders: "Inching" toward consensus. Frontiers in psychiatry 2023. PMID: 36937727


  18. Chaphekar AV, Downey A, Garber AK, Kuykendall M, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Nagata JM. Eating disorders in sexual minority adolescents and young adults: examining clinical characteristics and psychiatric co-morbidities in an inpatient medical setting. Journal of eating disorders 2023. PMID: 36855189


  19. Chaphekar AV, Vance SR, Garber AK, Buckelew S, Ganson KT, Downey A, Nagata JM. Transgender and other gender diverse adolescents with eating disorders requiring medical stabilization. Journal of eating disorders 2022. PMID: 36564815


  20. Nagata JM, Grandis A, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Nguyen A, Downey AE, Ganson KT, Patel KP, Machen VI, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. Assessment of vitamin D among male adolescents and young adults hospitalized with eating disorders. Journal of eating disorders 2022. PMID: 35851069


  21. Downey AE, Cheng J, Adams SH, Buckelew SM, Kapphahn CJ, Machen VI, Rosen EL, Moscicki AB, Golden NH, Garber AK. Renal Function in Patients Hospitalized With Anorexia Nervosa Undergoing Refeeding: Findings From the Study of Refeeding to Optimize Inpatient Gains. 2022. PMID: 35705423


  22. Nagata JM, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Nguyen A, Ganson KT, McDonald CM, Machen VI, Downey A, Buckelew SM, Garber AK. Sex differences and associations between zinc deficiency and anemia among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. 2022. PMID: 35624393


  23. Whitley K, Tastenhoye C, Downey A, Rozel JS. Mental Health Care of Detained Youth Within Juvenile Detention Facilities. 2022. PMID: 34801154


  24. Brynes N, Tarchichi T, McCormick AA, Downey A. Restrictive Eating Disorders: Accelerating Treatment Outcomes in the Medical Hospital. Hospital pediatrics 2021. PMID: 34103401