Dr. Ciao became interested in eating and body image research as a college student after taking mental health classes and joining a research team. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and then took some time off to work in the field. She eventually earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and completed a clinical internship and post-doctoral training at the University of Chicago. Dr. Ciao joined Western’s faculty in the fall of 2014 to teach courses on mental illness, research, and statistics, and conduct research in the area of eating disorders and body image. 

Dr. Ciao is also the current director of Western’s Center for Cross-Cultural Research, which supports student and faculty-led research and education related to culture and psychology.