معرفی
Kaili Rimfeld is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London. She holds a PhD in Behavioural Genetics awarded on September 30, 2017, with research focused on the genetic and environmental underpinnings of educational achievement at the end of compulsory education and beyond. She also serves as a Visiting researcher at the Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatric Centre.
Her research focuses on the causes and correlates of individual differences in mental health and academic achievement, combining behavioral genetics, statistical genetics, psychometrics, and innovative assessment methods. Using twin studies and DNA-based approaches, she investigates how early educational experiences are associated with mental health outcomes throughout the lifespan. Her work aims to identify specific risk factors such as school environment, school type, and levels of parental and teacher support that predict mental health outcomes while accounting for genetic influences. The ultimate goal of her research is to contribute to interventions that help individuals reach their full potential in both educational success and overall wellbeing.
Dr. Rimfeld's research output includes 78 publications comprising 75 articles, 2 book chapters, and 1 review article. Her recent work examines topics including genetic specificity of cognitive tests, cognitive reappraisal for academic anxiety in students with dyslexia, genetic prediction of academic underachievement and overachievement, gene-environment correlations in academic development, and factors influencing STEM career choices. Her research spans the fields of behavioral genetics, statistical genetics, psychometrics, developmental psychology, and mental health.
- PhD in Behavioural Genetics (Award Date: 30 Sept 2017)
- Visiting researcher position at Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatric Centre
Dr. Rimfeld is Principal Investigator on two major research projects: 'Genetics, educational environments, and student mental health: causal links and long-term outcomes' funded by the Medical Research Council (2025-2028), and 'Examining the associations between educational experiences and mental health from childhood to adulthood' funded by the Wellcome Trust (2022-2023). Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to education and wellbeing.
