Amanda Downey, MD

HS Asst Clinical Professor
Pediatrics
[email protected]

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).

Publications: 

The Effect of Preadmission Energy Balance on Short-Term Medical Outcomes: Findings From the Study of Refeeding to Optimize Inpatient Gains.

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

Downey AE, Kapphahn CJ, Gorrell S, Vendlinski SS, Cheng J, Le Grange D, Accurso EC, Buckelew SM, Kreiter A, Marsal B, Wright P, Golden NH, Garber AK

A systematic review of participant diversity in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy trials.

Psychiatry research

Haft SL, Downey AE, Raymond-Flesch M, Fernandes-Osterhold G, Bradley ER, O'Donovan A, Woolley J

Clinical characteristics of hospitalized male adolescents and young adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID).

Journal of eating disorders

Nagata JM, Chaphekar AV, Low P, Vargas R, Ganson KT, Nguyen A, Buckelew SM, Garber AK, Downey AE

Predictors of Outpatient and Inpatient Service Utilization Among Publicly-Insured Youth With Eating Disorders.

The International journal of eating disorders

Mikhail ME, Cordell KD, Downey AE, Snowden LR, Accurso EC

Innovative and Emerging Treatments for Anorexia Nervosa.

Focus (American Psychiatric Publishing)

Downey AE, Gorrell S

A Plea for Nuance: Should People with a Family History of Bipolar Disorder Be Excluded from Clinical Trials of Psilocybin Therapy?

Psychedelic medicine (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

Downey AE, Bradley ER, Lerche AS, O'Donovan A, Krystal AD, Woolley J

Sex differences in electrolyte abnormalities indicating refeeding syndrome risk among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders.

Journal of eating disorders

Nagata JM, Nguyen A, Vargas R, Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Garber AK

Psilocybin therapy and anorexia nervosa: a narrative review of safety considerations for researchers and clinicians.

Journal of eating disorders

Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Woolley J, Raymond-Flesch M

Characterizing Medical Complications in Publicly Insured Youth With Eating Disorders.

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

Downey AE, Cordell K, Snowden LR, Accurso EC

Clinical characteristics of hospitalized male adolescents and young adults with atypical anorexia nervosa.

The International journal of eating disorders

Nagata JM, Vargas R, Sanders AE, Stuart E, Downey AE, Chaphekar AV, Nguyen A, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Garber AK

Short-term outcomes of the study of refeeding to optimize inpatient gains for patients with atypical anorexia nervosa.

The International journal of eating disorders

Garber AK, Cheng J, Accurso EC, Buckelew SM, Downey AE, Le Grange D, Gorrell S, Kapphahn CJ, Kreiter A, Moscicki AB, Golden NH

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

Downey AE, Odette M, Sanders AE, Kuykendall M, Saunders E, Nagata JM, Forsberg 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

Nagata JM, Chaphekar AV, Vargas R, Nguyen A, Downey AE, Patel KP, Ganson KT, Stuart E, Vendlinski S, Buckelew SM, Garber AK

The social epidemiology of binge-eating disorder and behaviors in early adolescents.

Journal of eating disorders

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

Modification of an inpatient medical management protocol for pediatric Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder: improving the standard of care.

Journal of eating disorders

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

"But the reality is it's happening": A qualitative study of eating disorder providers about psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy.

The International journal of eating disorders

Downey AE, Boyd M, Chaphekar AV, Woolley J, Raymond-Flesch M

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

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

Parental self-efficacy: Longitudinal impact on clinical outcomes across levels of care in adolescent anorexia nervosa.

The International journal of eating disorders

Gorrell S, Downey AE, Saunders E, Accurso EC, Buckelew S, Kreiter A, Le Grange D, Garber AK

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

Chaphekar AV, Downey A, Garber AK, Kuykendall M, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Ganson KT, Buckelew SM, Nagata JM

Transgender and other gender diverse adolescents with eating disorders requiring medical stabilization.

Journal of eating disorders

Chaphekar AV, Vance SR, Garber AK, Buckelew S, Ganson KT, Downey A, Nagata JM

Assessment of vitamin D among male adolescents and young adults hospitalized with eating disorders.

Journal of eating disorders

Nagata JM, Grandis A, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Nguyen A, Downey AE, Ganson KT, Patel KP, Machen VI, Buckelew SM, Garber AK

Renal Function in Patients Hospitalized With Anorexia Nervosa Undergoing Refeeding: Findings From the Study of Refeeding to Optimize Inpatient Gains.

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

Downey AE, Cheng J, Adams SH, Buckelew SM, Kapphahn CJ, Machen VI, Rosen EL, Moscicki AB, Golden NH, Garber AK

Sex differences and associations between zinc deficiency and anemia among hospitalized adolescents and young adults with eating disorders.

Eating and weight disorders : EWD

Nagata JM, Bojorquez-Ramirez P, Nguyen A, Ganson KT, McDonald CM, Machen VI, Downey A, Buckelew SM, Garber AK

Mental Health Care of Detained Youth Within Juvenile Detention Facilities.

Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America

Whitley K, Tastenhoye C, Downey A, Rozel JS

Restrictive Eating Disorders: Accelerating Treatment Outcomes in the Medical Hospital.

Hospital pediatrics

Brynes N, Tarchichi T, McCormick AA, Downey A