I am an ARC DECRA Fellow and Sydney Horizon Fellow at the University of Sydney. I am an Honorary Research Fellow at Macquarie University. I was awarded my PhD in Psychology from UNSW Sydney. During my PhD, I spent six months working at the Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England. 

After completing my PhD, I worked with Distinguished Professor Ron Rapee on his ARC Laureate Fellowship at Macquarie University. As part of my role, I co-led the Risk to Adolescent Wellbeing (RAW) project, which is a large-scale longitudinal study investigating the development of emotional functioning during adolescence. I also led the Social Media Project, which is a longitudinal school-based project examining links between social media use and mental health.

I joined the University of Sydney in 2024, where I lead research projects investigating the positive and negative use of social media for body image. 

My research focuses on social influences on young people’s mental and physical health. Given the widespread popularity of social media among young people, I am particularly interested in understanding how social media use may impact users’ body image, mood, and anxiety. I am also interested in finding ways to reduce any negative impact of social media use. Beyond social media, I am also interested in other factors that influence body image and any stigma experienced as a result of one’s physical appearance.

My research has featured in more than 40 reputable media outlets around the world, such as the ABC, BBC, HuffPost, Washington Post, CNN, and The Guardian. I have also discussed my research on radio programs such as ABC’s Triple J Hack program and ABC’s 666 radio, and on television programs, such as 7News and SBS.

I am on the editorial board of Body Image and the Journal of Eating Disorders. I am also an invited ad hoc reviewer for more than 20 other peer-reviewed journals.