Jillon Vander Wal, Ph.D.

Jillon S. Vander Wal, Ph.D. is a Licensed Psychologist with the Kanas City Center for Anxiety Treatment (KCCAT) as well as a faculty member with the Professionalism and Integrity Program at Washington University. Dr. Vander Wal’s clinical areas of expertise include the evidence-based treatment of eating and anxiety spectrum disorders. Her program of research addresses the assessment, development, and treatment of disorders of eating with additional interests in psychological assessment, treatment, treatment outcomes, and professional issues. She is a Fellow of the Obesity Society and Member of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies as well as the American Psychological Association.

Recent Research


  • Fitterman-Harris, H., & Vander Wal, J.S. (in press). Weight bias reduction among first-year medical students: A quasi-randomized, controlled trial.

  • Emmert, N.A., Schwarz, L.R., Vander Wal, J.S., & Gfeller, J.D. (2021). Neuropsychological predictors of health and safety abilities in dementia. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 29, 94-106.

  • Maraldo, T.M., Fewell, L., & Vander Wal, J.S. (2021). Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Clinical Impairment Assessment 3.0 (CIA 3.0) in a clinical eating disorder sample. Eating Behaviors, 40.

  • Soulliard, Z., Vander Wal, J.S. (2020). Confirmatory factor analyses of the Body Image-Acceptance and Action Questionnaire and Functionality Appreciation Scale among LGBQ Adults. Current Psychology.

  • Vander Wal, J.S., Soulliard, Z.A., & Kauffman, A.A. (2020). Construct validity of the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale among women high in eating disorder symptoms. Eating and Weight Disorders. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s40519-020-00945-0

  • Vander Wal, J.S., Kauffman, A.A., & Soulliard, Z.A. (2020). Differences in alexithymia, emotional awareness, and facial emotion recognition under conditions of self-focused attention among women with high and low eating disorder symptoms. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(1), 28.

  • Soulliard, Z.A., & Vander Wal, J.S. (2019). Validation of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 and relationships to eating behaviors among sexual minorities. Body Image, 31, 120-130.

  • Emmert, N.A., Schwarz, L.R., Vander Wal, J.S., & Gfeller, J.G. (2019). The RBANS Factor Structure in Older Adults with Suspected Cognitive Impairment: Evidence for a 5-Factor Structure. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 25(1), 1-13.

  • Merz, Z., Wright, J.D., Vander Wal, J.S., & Gfeller, J.D. (2018). A factor analytic investigation of the Mercy Evaluation of Multiple Sclerosis, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 1, 1‐23.

  • DuBois, J.M, Chibnall, J.T., Tait, R., & Vander Wal, J.S. (2018). The Professionalism and Integrity in Research Program: Description and preliminary outcomes. Academic Medicine, 93(4), 586-592.

  • Maraldo, T.M., Zhou, W., Dowling, J., & Vander Wal, J.S. (2016). Replication and extension of the dual pathway model of disordered eating: The role of fear of negative evaluation, suggestibility, rumination, and self-compassion. Eating Behaviors, 23, 187-194.

  • Dubois, J.M., Chibnall, J.T., Tait, R, Vander Wal, J. (2016). Misconduct: Lessons from researcher rehab. Nature, 534, 173-175.

  • Antes, A.L., Chibnall, J.T., Baldwin, K.A., Tait, R.C., Vander Wal, J.S., & DuBois, J.M. (2016). Making professional decisions in research: Measurement and key predictors. Accountability in Research: Policies and Quality Assurance, 23(5), 288-308.

  • Dubois, J.M., Chibnall, J.T., Tait, R.C., Vander Wal, J.S., Baldwin, K.A., Antes, A.L., Mumford, M.D. (2015). Professional Decision-Making in Research (PDR): The validity of a new measure. Science and Engineering Ethics, 22(2), 391-416.

  • Vander Wal, J.S., Maraldo, T., Vercellone, A.C., & Gagne, D.A. (2015). Behavioral interventions for the treatment of night eating syndrome: A pilot study. Appetite, 89, 136-144.

Previous Positions



07/16 – 07/21 Director of Clinical Training, Saint Louis University, Department of Psychology

07/15 – 07/21 Professor, Director of the Weight, Eating, & Lifestyle Lab, Saint Louis University, Department of Psychology


01/12 - 05/21 Member, Institutional Review Board, Saint Louis University