Engel Research

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Primary Research Focus

Engel Research focuses on two different but related areas. First, its researchers are currently devoted to contemplating and working to answer questions related to outcomes after bariatric surgery. Most people do quite well after surgery, but the lab is particularly interested in the significant minority of people who experience poor outcomes. We are most interested in problems related to alcohol after surgery, but also study disordered eating, weight regain, insufficient weight loss, depression, hypoglycemia and other less-than-ideal outcomes after surgery.

Our second research focus is in the momentary antecedents and consequents of eating disordered behaviors. This area of work has focused mainly on negative reinforcement models in individuals with bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Researchers have employed real-time assessment methodology in both of these lines of research and enjoy using novel and technologically sophisticated forms of assessment to help try to answer difficult questions.

Primary Research Group

Behavioral Science

(701) 365-4941

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About Engel Research

About Scott Engel

Dr. Scott Engel received his BA from Moorhead State University. He attended Ball State University, where he received his MA in clinical psychology in 1998. While working on this master’s degree, Dr. Engel decided to focus his future work on research. After completing his PhD at North Dakota State University in 2003, he started a postdoctoral fellowship at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute. He transitioned to a research scientist position in 2005 and became the Director of Behavioral Research in 2016.

Academic Affiliations and Training

  • American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
  • Eating Disorder Research Society
  • Academy for Eating Disorders

Funding

  • Consultant. Principal Investigator (Boutelle): Targeting Emotional Eating and Weight Loss Adolescents (R01DK116616). 7/1/18-4/30/23 ($3,333,803 total).
  • Co-Principal Investigator (Engel & Wonderlich): Post-Surgical Predictors of Depression and Weight Regain after Bariatric Surgery (1R01DK112487). 9/15/16-8/31/21 ($3,608,997 total).
  • Faculty Mentor: Regional Postdoctoral training grant in eating disorders (T32 MH082761). Conducted at the Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, North Dakota, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Principal Investigator: Scott J. Crow, M.D. 4/01/08-6/30/19 ($2,422,716 total).
  • Co-Investigator: Elucidating the Relationship between PTSD and Eating Disorder Symptoms: Building an Empirical Rationale for Concurrent Treatment. Excellence Fund Research Grant, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto. Principal Investigator: Trottier, Kathryn. $10,000 (CAD).
  • Co-Principal Investigator (Engel & Steffen): Alcohol-Related Impairment and Reinforcement after Gastric Bypass Surgery (1R01AA022336). September 2014 to August 2019 ($1,953,221 total).

Publications

Smith KE, Engel SG, Steffen KJ, Garcia L, Grothe K, Koball A, Mitchell JE. (2018). Problematic Alcohol Use and Associated Characteristics Following Bariatric Surgery. Obesity Surgery, 28, 1248-1254. PMID: 29110243.

Engel, S.G., Crosby, R.D., Thomas, G., Bond, D., Lavender, J.M., Mason, T., Steffen, K.J., Green, D.D. & Wonderlich, S.A. (2016). Ecological momentary assessment in eating disorder and obesity research: A review of the recent literature. Current Psychiatry Reports, 18(4), 37. PMID: 26893235

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