Phone: (585) 275-8874
Office: HWH 2W121
Email: Meredith Kells

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.

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

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

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

Kosmas, J.A., Garza, M., Kells, M., Hahn, S.L., & Davis, H.A. (2025). Food Insecurity Predicts Excessive Exercise, Dietary Restriction, Cognitive Restraint, and Purging, but Not Binge Eating, in College Students Across 3 Months. International Journal of Eating Disorders. PMID: 40052521 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24401

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