Professor Profile

Dr. Melissa Munn-Chernoff is a distinguished scholar and Associate Professor in the Department of Community, Family, and Addiction Sciences at Texas Tech University. She currently holds the Eating Disorder Professorship at Texas Tech University and is a Fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders.

 

Dr. Munn-Chernoff earned her PhD in Psychology and Behavioral Genetics from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2011 and completed her post-doctoral training in Psychiatric and Genetic Epidemiology of eating disorders and alcohol use at Washington University School of Medicine in 2015. Following her post-doctoral training, Dr. Munn-Chernoff served as a Research Assistant Professor in Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 2015 to 2023. Since moving to Texas Tech University in 2023, she continues to make significant contributions to the field through her teaching and research endeavors.​​

 

Dr. Munn-Chernoff's research is driven by a commitment to understanding factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders and their symptoms. Her work spans three primary programs:

 

Genetic and Environmental Factors: Identifying genetic and environmental factors that contribute to eating disorders.

 

Comorbidity Research: Exploring factors behind the co-occurrence of eating disorders and psychiatric disorders, including substance use disorders.

 

Youth Mental Health: Examining mental health challenges in adolescents and young adults.​

 

Her impactful research has been supported by grants from prestigious institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the Sarah Kyle Anorexia Nervosa Research Foundation, and through substantial institutional funding.

 

Outside of her professional life, Dr. Munn-Chernoff values her time with family, enjoys traveling, and is an avid sports fan, blending her personal interests with a rigorous academic career.