Who are we?
The Melbourne Physical Appearance Research Team (PART), led by Associate Professor Scott Griffiths, is based in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Australia. PART is dedicated to understanding the psychological, social and technological factors influencing physical appearance and body image.
Our research examines how concerns about appearance intersect with mental health, identity, and digital environments. We conduct rigorous and applied studies that inform policy, clinical practice, and educational interventions. Current projects include creating digital interventions for eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia, creating and evaluating school-based workshops, investigating the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms on body image, and exploring appearance-related stereotypes and stigma, particularly among sexual minority groups. Additional areas of focus include weight stigma and discrimination, the impact of gender ideologies on sexual wellbeing, mental health, self-compassion and body image in competitive performance settings, and the development and validation of measures for appearance-related constructs.
PART collaborates with legislators in Australia and Singapore to guide public policy and work alongside industry leaders, including ByteDance (the developers of TikTok), to reduce appearance-related harms on digital platforms. Through these partnerships and initiatives, PART aims to provide policymakers, educators, clinicians, and the broader community with a deeper understanding of body image and related trends, as well as evidence-based tools to foster positive body image and mental health in an increasingly digital world.
PART in the Spotlight
Below is a selection of presentations, interviews, and talks by members of the PART. Watch the full presentation by clicking the title beneath each image.
Want to hear more? Check out these podcasts!
Is TikTok toxic for our body image?
PsychTalks Podcast Episode ft. Dr. Scott Griffiths
Are household inequities ruining your sex life?
PsychTalks Podcast Episode ft. Dr. Emily Harris
In Depth with men's body image expert Scott Griffiths
Butterfly Foundation: Let's Talk
The invisible job and low sexual desire in women
Illuminating Women Podcast Episode ft. Dr. Emily Harris
Is steroid use changing how we view ourselves?
ABC Health Report ft. Dr. Scott Griffiths
News
Lab Leader
A/Prof Scott Griffiths
Associate Professor Scott Griffiths leads the Physical Appearance Research Team and is currently leading research on eating disorders and social media algorithms, treatments for eating disorders muscle dysmorphia, and body image among sexual minority men.
scott.griffiths@unimelb.edu.auAcademic Fellows
Dr. Emily Harris
Emily Harris is an Academic Fellow at MSPS. Her research explores how gender beliefs shape two quite vulnerable facets of life – our sexual relationships and our relationship with our bodies. She primarily uses quantitative methods to test psychological theories of gender.
harrise1@unimelb.edu.au
Dr. Courtney Walton
Courtney is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Fellow at MSPS. His research is focused on supporting mental health (including aspects related to body image) in both sports and performance contexts.
courtney.walton@unimelb.edu.au
Dr. Emma Austen
Emma is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Physical Appearance Research Team. Her research focuses on stigma related to body image and eating disorders, with a particular interest in the impacts of weight stigma on body image and mental health.
emma.austen@unimelb.edu.auPhD Students
Felicity Angelopoulos
Felicity Angelopoulos is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on exploring body image concerns and weight bias among lesbian women, challenging long-standing assumptions that they are protected from appearance-related pressures.
Noa Brittain
Noa Brittain is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne. Her current research interests include the association between appearance focused TikTok content, body image, and eating disorder symptoms, with a focus on how this relationship plays out over time.
Lucy Tiley
Lucy Tiley is a PhD student at the University of Melbourne, and works as a Clinical Psychologist. Lucy’s research is primarily focussed on exploring the relationships between self-criticism, masculinity and mental health, in the context of elite sports performance. Her research aims to inform the design of clinical interventions to support this population.
Masters and Honours Students
Wahidah Pan
Emma Halliwell
Isabel Martyn
Research Assistants and Collaborators
Pranita Shrestha
Sami Hondrogiannis
Publications
Below is a selection of recent publications by lab members, organised by year. The names of contributing lab members appear in bold.
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Austen, E., & Griffiths, S. (2025). Prospective relationships of body appreciation and functionality appreciation with body dissatisfaction and psychological quality of life among sexual minority men. Body Image, 53, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101884
Austen, E., Hunger, J. M., Bonell, S., & Griffiths, S. (2025). Gaps in measurement: Highlighting anti-fat bias as an underrepresented construct in the modified weight bias internalization scale. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 19(5), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.70057
Harris, E. A., Moeck, E. K., & Griffiths, S. (2025). Affective trajectories of binge eating, purging, and exercise among sexual minority men. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 58, 939–951. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24406
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Austen, E., & Griffiths, S. (2024). Body fat and muscularity dissatisfaction are not prospectively associated with psychological wellbeing among sexual minority men: A case for separating within- and between-person variation in examinations of body image phenomena and their outcomes. Body Image, 51, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101783
Grey, W., Harris, E. A., Kalokerinos, E. K., & Griffiths, S. (2024). On liking how you look and feeling sexy: Quantifying the overlap between sexual desirability and body satisfaction in a sample of Australian Grindr users. Body image, 48, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.101676
Griffiths, S., Whitehead, G., Angelopoulos, F., Stone, B., Grey, W., Dennis, S., & Harris, E. A. (2024). Does TikTok contribute to eating disorders? A comparison of the TikTok algorithms belonging to individuals with eating disorders versus healthy controls. Body Image, 52, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101807
Harris, E. A., Koval, P., Grey, W., Greenaway, K. H., Kalokerinos, E. K., Griffiths, S. (2024). State gender variability and body satisfaction among sexual minority men. Body Image, 51, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2024.101804
Walton, C. C., Purcell, R., Henderson, J. L., Kim, J., Kerr, G., Frost, J., Gwyther, K., Pilkington, V., Rice, S., & Tamminen, K. A. (2024). Mental health among elite young athletes: A narrative overview to advance research and practice. Sports Health, 16(2), 166–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381231219230
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Harris, E. A., & Griffiths, S. The differential effects of state and trait masculinity and femininity on body satisfaction among sexual minority men. Body Image, 45, 34–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.01.007
Harris, E. A., Hornsey, M. J., Hofmann, W., Jern, P., Murphy, C., Hedenborg, F., & Barlow, F. K. (2023). Does sexual desire fluctuate more among women than men? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 52, 1461–1478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02525-y
Awards
Below is a selection of recent awards received by lab members, organised by year.
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- Melbourne Data Analytic Program Grant: Awarded to Drs. Emily Harris & Scott Griffiths
- 3-year Academic Fellowship, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, including funds to support new and ongoing research: Awarded to Dr Emily Harris
- Seymour Fisher Outstanding Body Image Dissertation Award: Awarded to Dr Emma Austen
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- Best Research Award at the Eating Disorders Alpbach Conference, Austria: 2nd place awarded to Dr Scott Griffiths
- Visualise Your Thesis (VYT), University of Melbourne: 3rd place awarded to Felicity Angelopoulos
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- Outstanding Graduate Researcher Supervision Award, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences: Awarded to Dr. Scott Griffiths
- Dame Kate Campbell Fellowship: Awarded to Dr. Scott Griffiths
We welcome your interest in our team. If you want to know more or explore opportunities for collaboration, please get in touch by clicking the link below.