Kristin R Laurens

Dr. Kristin R. Laurens holds dual academic positions: Adjunct Professor in Psychiatry at UNSW Sydney and Professor in the School of Psychology and Counselling at Queensland University of Technology. Her research focuses on identifying childhood risk factors for later health and social outcomes using record linkage of population databases. She integrates neurobiological measures with epidemiological methods to explore interactions between biological and psychosocial factors influencing health and well-being.

Research Interests include:

• Child and adolescent mental health
• Schizophrenia risk profiles
• Epidemiological approaches to public health
• Developmental psychology

Recent work emphasizes:

• Environmental risk factors in early life
• Longitudinal cohort studies
• Social-emotional learning programs' impact

Her 15 recent articles (2023-2025) analyze topics like childhood maltreatment's mental health impact, cortisol levels in psychosis, and school-based interventions. Key findings highlight disparities in police contact rates for at-risk youth and the predictive value of early developmental vulnerabilities.

Professional service includes leadership in public health policy and child welfare research, with a focus on translating findings into evidence-based prevention programs.