Katharine Phillips, MD, is internationally known for her expertise in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and related disorders. People with BDD inaccurately perceive themselves as looking abnormal, ugly, or deformed, to the point where it causes emotional distress or interferes with their functioning and quality of life. For more than 25 years, Dr. Phillips has conducted ground-breaking scientific research on BDD and has provided expert evaluation and treatment for people with BDD and other conditions. Her research on BDD has identified and elucidated many aspects of this common and severe psychiatric disorder, including pursuit of cosmetic treatments. Much of her scientific research has focused on developing and testing treatments, both medication treatment and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for BDD. Her scientific studies on BDD were continuously funded by the National Institute of Mental Health for more than 20 years. Dr. Phillips has 320 scientific publications (original scientific articles, review articles, letters, and book chapters). She has also written or edited 11 books on BDD and other topics.