Hi! My name is Joseline Barragan and I am a Duke senior majoring in Psychology, with a minor
in Japanese and a certificate in Markets and Management Studies. After graduation, I plan to
pursue a Master’s in Clinical Social Work with the goal of working with underrepresented and
marginalized youth in therapeutic and clinical settings. My research interests center on
disordered eating patterns in young people, particularly when these behaviors emerge as a
response to childhood trauma and serve as an attempt to regain a sense of control. I am also
interested in how trauma-informed approaches can guide effective prevention and intervention
strategies for disordered eating. Through my experiences working with children on the autism
spectrum, many of whom presented with comorbid eating disorders such as PICA, AFRID, and
GI tract issues, I gained a deepened interest in understanding the intersections between
neurodevelopmental differences, trauma histories, and disordered eating behaviors. I hope to
continue exploring how developmental, environmental, and psychological factors interact in
shaping eating behaviors in children and adolescents