Meredith Kells, PhD, RN, CPNP, FSAHM

Meredith Kells, PhD, RN, CPNP, FSAHM

(Pronouns: she/her)
  • Assistant Professor

Education

  • PhD, 2019. Boston College. Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Masters of Science, Nursing, 2007. Boston College. Chestnut Hill, MA
  • Bachelors of Science, Nursing, 2005. Boston College. Chestnut Hill, MA

Bio

Meredith Kells is an assistant professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing and a pediatric nurse practitioner at Golisano Children's Hospital in the Department of Pediatrics-Division of Adolescent Medicine. Her work centers on the care of adolescents and young adults with eating disorders, including management of malnutrition, inpatient hospitalization, and social media use in the maintenance and development of eating disorders. Her current focus is on the care of individuals admitted for inpatient hospitalization, and the reduction of risk of refeeding hypophosphatemia and identification of best practices in goal weight settings for individuals with restrictive eating disorders.

Kells brings more than a decade of experience to her current role, having served individuals with eating disorders in both ambulatory and tertiary care settings. Prior to the University of Rochester, she completed a two-year NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in eating disorders research at the University of Chicago. She also completed the LEAH (Leadership Education in Adolescent Health) interdisciplinary training program — funded by HRSA’s Maternal & Child Health Bureau — and an evidence-based practice fellowship at Boston’s Children Hospital. She is an active member of both the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM). Kells earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degree from Boston College’s Connell School of Nursing.  


Professional Experience

Assistant Professor,
University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY. 2022 - Current

Postdoctoral Fellow,
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. 2020 - 2022

Adjunct Faculty,
University of Rhode Island College of Nursing, Providence, RI. 2020 - 2020

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner,
Boston Children's Hospital Level II Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Boston, MA. 2014 - 2020

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner,
Boston Children's Hospital Level II, Inpatient Medicine, Boston, MA. 2008 - 2020

Adjunct Faculty,
Endicott College Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Beverly, MA. 2014 - 2014

Clinical Instructor in Nursing,
University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA. 2012 - 2013

Nurse Fellow,
Boston Children's Hospital Health Resources and Services Administration/Maternal Child Health Bureau, Boston, MA. 2011 - 2012

Nurse Fellow,
Boston Children's Hospital Medicine Patient Services, Evidence Based Practice, Boston, MA. 2009 - 2010

Staff Nurse,
Boston Children's Hospital Intermediate Care Program, Boston, MA. 2008 - 2010

Staff Nurse I,
Boston Children's Hospital Inpatient Medicine, Boston, MA. 2007 - 2010

Registered Nurse,
Pediatric Health Care Associates, Peadbody, MA. 2006 - 2007

Awards

Professional Advancement Award
University of Rochester School of Nursing, 2024

Dr. Jeremy A. Kaliner Entrepreneurship Fund Award
University of Rochester School of Nursing, 2024

Fellow
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, 2023

Commencement Degree Representative for Doctoral Candidates
Boston College, 2019

Early Career Spotlight
Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine, 2016

University Fellow
Boston College, 2016

University Fellow
Boston College, 2015

University Fellow
Boston College, 2014

University Fellow
Boston College, 2013

David R. DeMasso, MD Pediatric Psychiatry Nursing Excellence Award Nominee
Boston Children's Hospital, 2012

Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing
Alpha Chi Chapter, 2007

Presentations

Vitamin D and Hypophosphatemia in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa and ARFID.
International Conference of Eating Disorders, 2024


Timing of weight-motivated dietary restriction in relation to receipt of earnings/benefits among young adults experiencing food insecurity.
Annual meeting of the Eating Disorders Research Society., 2023


Weight/Shape Related Motivators for Use Moderates the Relationship Between Social Media Use and Body Image.
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting., 2023


Trauma Exposure and Eating Disorder Diagnosis in Women with Food Insecurity.
International Conference of Eating Disorders., 2023


An Inductive Thematic Analysis of #WhatIEatInADay Videos on TikTok.
International Conference of Eating Disorders., 2023


Racial and ethnic differences in the association of emotion dysregulation and eating pathology among a clinical sample.
International Conference of Eating Disorders., 2023


Associations among weight history, weight bias, and eating disorder diagnosis in women with current food insecurity.
International Conference of Eating Disorders., 2023


The associations between neuropsychiatric disturbances and disordered eating behaviors in Black adolescents.
Council for Advancement of Nursing Science 2023 Advanced Methods Conference, Biosocial Methods to Advance Health Equity., 2023


Thank you for coming to my tEDTok: The experience of treatment for eating disorders as told on TikToK.
International Conference on Eating Disorders, 2022


Health Literacy and Eating Disorder Pathology in Women with Food Insecurity
International Conference on Eating Disorders, 2022


Associations between Shame, Eating Disorder Symptoms, and Depression in a Preliminary Sample of Women with Food Insecurity
Eating Disorders Research Society Annual Meeting, 2022


Web Based Screening and Brief Intervention Increases Self-Reported Motivation to Reduce Binge Eating and Binge Drinking in College Students
International Conference on Eating Disorders, 2022


Influence of COVID-19 on the next generation of nurses: A multi-methods study
American Psychiatric Nurses Association Annual Meeting, 2021
Louisville, Kentucky

Bradycardia in Adolescents and Young Adults with Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
International Conference on Eating Disorders, 2021


Eating Disorders and Adolescents and Young Adults: From Food Talk to Diagnosis
The Sonia Shankman Orthogenic School, 2021
Chicago, Illinois

Management of Eating Disorders in the School Setting
Community Education Initiative, Boston Children's Hospital, 2021
Boston, Massachusetts

Eating Disorders: Inpatient and Outpatient Management
The Art and Science of Pediatric Nursing Conference-Society of Pediatric Nurses, Massachusetts Chapter, 2020


Eating Disorders: Multidisciplinary Approach
Adolescent Medicine Course, Boston Children's Hospital, 2020
Boston, Massachusetts

Factors Associated with Refeeding Hypophosphatemia (RH) in Hospitalized Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Anorexia Nervosa (AN)
Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting, 2019
Washington, District Of Columbia

Eating Disorders: Multidisciplinary Approach
Adolescent Medicine Course, Boston Children's Hospital, 2019
Boston, Massachusetts

Antecedents and Correlates of Nasogastric (NG) Tube Feeding during Medical Hospitalization for Adolescents/Young Adults with Anorexia Nervosa
25th Annual Eating Disorder Research Society Meeting, 2019
Chicago, Illinois

Identifying/Addressing Eating Disorders in the Office Setting
Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology Course, Boston Children's Hospital, 2019
Boston, Massachusetts

Management of Eating Disorders in the School Setting
Community Education Initiative, Boston Children's Hospital, 2019
Boston, Massachusetts

Motivational Interviewing, Community Education Initiative
Boston Children's Hospital, 2018
Boston, Massachusetts

Disordered Eating
Community Education Initiative, Boston Children's Hospital, 2017
Boston, Massachusetts

Inpatient Treatment of Eating Disorders
Feeding and Eating Disorders Conference hosted by Medicine Patient Services, Boston Children's Hospital, 2017
Boston, Massachusetts

Engaging youth in conversations about making changes to their frequent marijuana use: Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) in primary care
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting, 2017
New Orleans, Louisiana

Nasogastric Tube Feeding for Individuals Diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa: Effective Intervention or Short-Term Fix?
Eastern Nursing Research Society 28th Annual Scientific Session, 2016
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Disordered Eating
Youth at Risk Conference, Endicott College, 2015
Beverly, Massachusetts

Characteristics Associated with Trait Mindfulness Among Marijuana-Using Youth
Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse Annual National Conference, 2015
Washington, District Of Columbia

Young People’s Motivation for Reducing Marijuana Use: Are They Ready, Willing, and Able?
Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse Annual National Conference, 2015
Washington, District Of Columbia

Binge Eating and Weight Perception among College-age Women
Nursing Research Special Interest Group; Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting, 2015
Los Angeles, California

Examining the Use of Meal Supervision in Adolescents and Young Adults with Restrictive Eating Disorders during Medical Hospitalization
Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting, 2014
Austin, Texas

Eating Disorders: Recognition, Assessment, and Referral in the School Setting
Community Education Initiative, Boston Children's Hospital, 2013
Boston, Massachusetts

Smoking Cessation Counseling Intervention for Parents (SCCIP) Study: Improving Children’s Health Through Parents
The Society of Pediatric Nurses 23rd Annual Convention, 2013
Nashville, Tennessee

Smoking Cessation for the Adolescent Medicine Provider
Division of Adolescent Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts

Meet the Professor Breakfast: Smoking Cessation Roundtable Discussion
Harvard Medical School Postgraduate Course in Adolescent Medicine, 2012


Dieting by Drugs: More to Lose Than Just Weight
Division of Adolescent Medicine & Division of Toxicology, Boston Children's Hospital, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts

Supervised Meals: Examining the Benefit for Pediatric Patients with Eating Disorders in a Medical Unit
The Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine Annual Meeting, 2012
New Orleans, Louisiana

Smoking Cessation Counseling Intervention for Parents of Hospitalized Pediatric Patients (SCCIP) Study
Nurses Week, Boston Children's Hospital, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts

Introduction to General Pediatrics, Psychology Intern Orientation
Boston Children’s Hospital, 2011


Introduction to General Pediatrics, Psychology Intern Orientation
Boston Children’s Hospital, 2010
Boston, Massachusetts

The Pediatric Respiratory Assessment
Community Education Initiative, Boston Children's Hospital, 2010
Boston, Massachusetts

The Smoking Cessation Counseling Intervention for Parents of Hospitalized Pediatric Patients (SCCIP) Study: Phase I
The Society of Pediatric Nursing 20th Annual Conference, 2010
Orlando, Florida

Publications

  • Kells, M.R., Davis, H.A., Roske, C., Holzman, S., & Wildes, J.E. (2024). The experience of treatment for eating disorders as told by content creators on TikTok. Eating Disorders. PMID: 39312503 DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2401669

  • Kells, M.R., Davis, H.A., Patarinski, A.G.G., & Wildes, J.E. (2024). Trauma Exposure Proximity Associated with Eating Disorder Diagnosis in Women with Food Insecurity. Appetite. PMID: 39218037 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107653

  • Kells, M., Dreisbach, C., Flannery, M., & Ramsdale, E. (2024). Implications of ChatGPT and Generative Language Models for Nursing Science and PhD Education. EdArXiv Preprints. DOI: 10.35542/osf.io/6m4et

  • Davis, H.A. and Kells, M. and Patarinski, A.G.G. and Wildes, J.E. (2024). Preliminary associations of body weight, weight bias, and dietary restriction with eating disorder diagnosis in women experiencing food insecurity. Eating Disorders. PMID: 38402578 DOI: 10.1080/10640266.2024.2322322

  • Kells, M., & Wildes, J.E. (2023). Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa. Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition: Volume 1-4, Fourth Edition, 290-295. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-821848-8.00075-5

  • Kells, M.R., Roske, C., Watters, A., Puckett, L., Wildes, J.E., Crow, S.J., & Mehler , P.S. (2023). Vitamin D and hypophosphatemia in patients with anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder: a case control study. Journal of Eating Disorders. DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00913-w

  • Davis, H.A., Kells, M.R., Roske, C., Holzman, S., & Wildes, J.E. (2023). A reflexive thematic analysis of #WhatIEatInADay on TikTok. Eating Behaviors. DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101759

  • Kells, M.R., Davis, H.A., Todorov, S., & Wildes, J.E. (2023). Health literacy and eating disorder pathology in women with food insecurity: A preliminary cross-sectional study. Eating Behaviors. DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2023.101727

  • Davis, H.A., Kells, M., Todorov, S., Kosmas, J. & Wildes, J.E. (2023). Comorbid eating, depressive, and anxiety psychopathology is associated with elevated shame in women with food insecurity. International Journal of Eating Disorders. DOI: 10.1002/eat.23913

  • Kells, M., Gregas,M., E. Wolfe, B., K. Garber, A., & Kelly-Weeder,S. (2022). Response to “Refeeding hypophosphatemia in adolescents with anorexia nervosa”. Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 37 (2), 480-481. PMID: 35124844 PMCID: PMC8962675 DOI: 10.1002/ncp.10837

  • Kells, M., & Jennings Mathis, K. (2022). Influence of COVID‐19 on the next generation of nurses in the United States. Journal of Clinical Nursing. PMID: 35043488 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.16202

  • Lin, J.A., Hartman-Munick, S.M., Kells, M.R., Milliren, C.E., Forman, S.F., Slater, W.A., Woods, E.R., & Richmond, T.K. (2021). The Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number of adolescents/young adults seeking eating disorder-related care. Journal of Adolescent Health. PMID: 34266715 PMCID: PMC8415773 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.05.019

  • E. Wildes, J., Bedell, A., Graham, A.K., & Kells, M. (2021). Brain‐gut psychotherapies: Promising tools to address gastrointestinal problems in patients with eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders. PMID: 34013611 PMCID: PMC8962673 DOI: 10.1002/eat.23555

  • Kells, M., Gregas, M., Wolfe, B.E., Garber, A., & Kelly-Weeder, S. (2021). Factors associated with refeeding hypophosphatemia in adolescents and young adults hospitalized with anorexia nervosa. Nutrition in Clinical Practice. PMID: 34494697 PMCID: PMC8962676 DOI: 10.1002/ncp.10772

  • Kells, M., Burke, P.J., Parker, S., Jonestrask, C., & Shrier, L.A. (2019). Engaging youth (adolescents and young adults) to change frequent marijuana use: Motivational Enhancement Therapy in primary care. Journal of Pediatric Nursing. PMID: 31473464 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2019.08.011

  • Kells, M., & Kelly-Weeder, S. (2019). Binge eating behavior among a cohort of normal weight college women. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. PMID: 31738272 DOI: 10.1097/JXX.0000000000000317

  • Shrier, L.A., Burke, P.J., Kells, M., Scherer, E.A., Sarda, V., Jonestrask, C., Xuan, Z. & Harris, S.K. (2018). Pilot randomized trial of MOMENT: A motivational counseling-plus-ecological momentary intervention to reduce marijuana use in youth. mHealth. PMID: 30148142 PMCID: PMC6087802 DOI: 10.21037/mhealth.2018.07.04

  • Kelly-Weeder, S., Kells, M., Jennings, K., Dunne, J., & Wolfe, B. (2018). Procedures and protocols for weight assessment during acute illness in individuals with anorexia nervosa: A national survey. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. PMID: 28754062 PMCID: PMC5748368 DOI: 10.1177/1078390317717790

  • Kells, M., Schubert-Bob, P., Nagle, K.; Hitchko, L., O’Neil, K., Forbes, P., & McCabe, M. (2017). Meal supervision during medical hospitalization for eating disorders. Clinical Nursing Research. PMID: 26964805 DOI: 10.1177/1054773816637598

  • Kells, M., & Shrier, L.A. (2017). Reducing Cannabis Use With a Real-Time Intervention Using Mobile Technology. Handbook of Cannabis and Related Pathologies: Biology, Pharmacology, Diagnosis, and Treatment. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800756-3.00133-2

  • Kells, M., & Kelly-Weeder, S. (2016). Nasogastric tube feeding for individuals with anorexia nervosa: An integrative review. Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. PMID: 27519612 DOI: 10.1177/1078390316657872

  • Wolfe, B.E., Dunne, J.P., & Kells, M.R. (2016). Nursing care considerations for the hospitalized patient with an eating disorder. Nursing Clinics of North America. PMID: 27229277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cnur.2016.01.006

  • Kells, M., Dunn, K., Melchiono, M., & Burke, P. (2015). Advance practice nurse fellowships: Creating awareness, creating opportunities. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare. PMID: 25532699 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedhc.2014.10.003

  • Kells, M., Rogers, J., Oppenheimer, S., Blaine, K., McCabe, M., McGrath, E., Woodring, B., & Geller, A. (2013). The teachable moment captured: A framework for nurse-led smoking cessation interventions for parents of hospitalized children. Journal of Public Health Nursing. PMID: 24000921 DOI: 10.1111/phn.12046

  • Kells, M., Davidson, K., Hitchko, L., ONeil, K., Schubert-Bob, P., & Mccabe, M. (2013). Examining supervised meals in patients with restrictive eating disorders. Applied Nursing Research. PMID: 23088876 DOI: 10.1016/j.apnr.2012.06.003

Projects