Kim Dienes

Dr Kim Dienes is a Lecturer in Psychology at Swansea University, affiliated with the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science. She holds an honorary lectureship at the University of Manchester and is a MASI Fellow at Swansea. Her work spans clinical and health psychology, focusing on stress mechanisms, chronic/acute stress interactions, and interventions. Dr. Dienes earned her BA/MA from Stanford, PhD from UCLA, and completed postdoctoral work at Northwestern University. She previously directed the Doctorate in Psychology Programme at Roosevelt University and practiced clinical psychology in the US until 2016.

Education:

• BA in Human Biology, Stanford University (2000)
• MA in Psychology, Stanford University (2000)
• PhD in Clinical Psychology, UCLA (2008)
• Internship and Postdoc at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Research Interests: Her research examines biological and psychosocial stress responses, including cortisol dynamics, relationship quality's moderating effects, and ethnic disparities in stress reactivity. She investigates how chronic stressors like the pandemic interact with acute stressors (e.g., exams) to impact mental/physical health. Recent work explores public perceptions of pandemic measures and vaccine hesitancy.

Grants & Projects:

• Fit for the Future: Green Hospital Infrastructure (£50k, 2021–2023)
• Test Trace Protect Wales (£18k, 2021)

Advising & Grants: Supervises PhD students in topics like biopsychosocial experiences of exercise and burnout in academic settings. Active in Welsh Technical Advisory Group for COVID-19 and American Psychosomatic Society committees.