Dr Isabel Krug
Isabel Krug is Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Melbourne with a main research focus on eating disorders, body image and eating pathology. Isabel's research focuses on a range of genetic, environmental, and psychological risk factors for eating pathology. Isabel is also interested in the effectiveness of new treatment modalities for individuals with eating pathology, including mindfulness, oxytocin, TMS, virtual reality and telemedicine. More recently Isabel and her team are using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to assess risk factors for eating pathology, including the effects of social media, fitbits and fasting during Ramadan on body image and eating behaviours.
Sarah Giles
Sarah Giles is completing her Masters of Clinical Psychology/ PhD at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests include neurocognitive functioning in eating disorders, obesity, and the overlap between autism spectrum disorder and eating disorders. Sarah's PhD is investigating the presence of autism spectrum disorder in eating disorders, and whether these traits may help to explain why some people experiencing an eating disorder do not respond to conventional treatment.
Jade Portingale
PhD student working in the University of Melbourne’s Physical Appearance Research Team. My research focuses on using multisensory bodily illusions to understand, and potentially improve, body image disturbance. Outside of my PhD, I'm also interested in using EMA methodology to understand the effects of social media use on daily body image and eating concerns.
Recent publications:
An Binh Dang
I’m a combined master of clinical psychology and PhD student, co-supervised by A/Professor Isabel Krug and Dr Litza Kiropoulos. My research focuses on understanding the clinical usefulness of the severity ratings for eating disorders as proposed by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Knowing the current limitations of the DSM-5 severity ratings for eating disorders, my research further expands on finding alternative transdiagnostic severity ratings for eating disorders to help guide clinical practice (e.g., risk of complications or need for hospitalisation) and policies (e.g., funding). Besides working on my PhD, I enjoy going out with friends and practising Pilates (badly!). I’m friends to all dogs.
Recent publications:
Night Eating Syndrome in Patients With Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder: A Systematic Review.
Nasim Ghahraman Moharrampour
My project focuses on the relationship between dietary restraint, disordered eating behaviours, and negative mood in daily life. The study will assess a combination of trait-based measures (e.g., dietary restraint, eating psychopathology, body dissatisfaction, and depressive symptoms), active and passive data (geolocation) and their correlation with dietary restraint, disordered eating symptoms, and negative mood using an intense measurement burst design with three-time points (baseline, and 6- and 12- months follow-up). Also, this research will evaluate the influence of dietary restraint on attentional bias towards food, body shape, and emotional recognition stimuli.
Title of thesis: Eye-tracking and Ecological Momentary Assessment in people with Dietary Restraint behaviours using a novel measurement burst design comprising passive and active data
Wenn Lynn Ooi
I’m setting up a new study, called the My Meals + Microbes Study, that aims to characterise the gut and oral microbiome in people with different eating behaviours. It also aims to investigate how the gut and oral microbiome is associated with other aspects of a person’s general well-being such as mental health, gastrointestinal health, diet, and physiological parameters (such as metabolism).
Anastasia Pourliakas
Anastasia is a PhD candidate under the supervision of Dr. Litza Kiropoulos and A/Prof Isabel Krug. Focussing on death anxiety in Eating Disorder, Oncology and Multiple Sclerosis populations, her PhD aims to a) systematically review the current literature on death anxiety in the three groups, b) validate popular death anxiety measures in the three groups and c) empirically assess a new psychological model of death anxiety in the three groups.
Rebekah Davenport
Rebekah is a combined Master of Clinical Psychology and PhD candidate at The University of Melbourne. Rebekah's PhD focuses on understanding the psychological (e.g., body-image) and cognitive factors (e.g., personality, cognitive flexibility) contributing to the development and maintainence of depression, anxiety and sexual dysfunction in chronic inflammatory populations, primarily multiple sclerosis and endometriosis. These constitute highly prevalent symptoms in these populations and are associated with negative prognostic factors.
Past PhD Students
2014–2018: Andisheh Vahedi
Supervisory Role: Primary Supervisor
Title of thesis: The work-family interface and child mental health: longitudinal associations via family functioning across childhood
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/217236
2013–2017: Vanja Rozenblat
Supervisory Role: Primary Supervisor
Title of thesis: The role of candidate gene x environment interactions in eating pathology: an investigation of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/197975
2013–2018: Tara de Paoli
Supervisory Role: Primary Supervisor
Title of thesis: Using an attachment framework to investigate the relationship between rejection sensitivity and socioemotional processing in eating disorders
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/207923
2014–2016: Francis Puccio
Supervisory Role: Primary Supervisor
Title of thesis: The Longitudinal Transmission of Effects Between Symptoms of Eating Pathology, Depression, and Anxiety
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/121863
2010–2014: Sarah Mitchell
Supervisory Role: Co-Supervisor
Title of thesis: A Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Outcomes and Emotion Predictors of Disordered Eating Trajectory Classes across Adolescence
Involvement with the
MSPS Eating Disorder Lab
We are currently taking on new PhD students for various exciting projects within our six research domains. We also highly value the contribution of students/staff volunteering in our lab. If you are interested to apply for a PhD or would like to volunteer in our lab, please contact Dr Isabel Krug directly (isabel.krug@unimelb.edu.au). We look forward to hearing from you.
