Laura Dondzilo

Laura Dondzilo is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, and Research Manager at the WA Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS). She holds a PhD from UWA (2018), focusing on cognitive processing in body image and eating disturbances. Her research spans child/adolescent mental health, cognitive biases in eating disorders, and the role of social media in mental health outcomes.

Education:

• PhD in Psychology, School of Psychological Science, UWA (2018)

Research Interests:

• Cognitive processes in eating disorders and body image disturbances
• Social media's impact on mental health
• Child and adolescent mental health service optimization
• Attentional biases and anxiety mechanisms

Recent Research Trends: Her work increasingly integrates behavioral data with clinical outcomes, emphasizing real-world applications in mental health services. Recent studies explore the causal links between social media engagement and eating disorders, as well as the role of attentional biases in anxiety and body dissatisfaction.

Awards:

• UWA Research Collaboration Award (2022)
• Cockell Research Collaboration Award (2020)

Advising & Grants: Supervised research students during her UWA Research Fellow role (2019–2023). Secured grants including a UWA-funded project on anorexia nervosa's cognitive basis (2022) and a study on Body Dysmorphic Disorder interventions (2020).

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with CAMHS and international researchers, including Swinburne University of Technology and University of Groningen.