In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Susie Burke about the role that psychology can play in helping us understand the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change and other environmental threats. Dr Susie Burke is a psychologist, Adjunct Associate Professor (University of Queensland), researcher, writer, and climate change campaigner with a background in conflict resolution, disaster psychology, parenting issues, and environmental issues. In addition to working with...
May 25, 2024•1 hr 12 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Andrew Martin about the intricate dynamics of Student Motivation, Engagement, and Achievement. Together, they delve deep into the strategies and challenges of "Putting The Horse Before The Cart," shedding light on the crucial steps needed to ensure academic success and personal growth. Andrew Martin, BA (Hons), MEd (Hons), PhD, is Scientia Professor, Professor of Educational Psychology, and Chair of the Educational Psychology...
May 23, 2024•1 hr 15 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Andrew Amos about the complexities and concerns surrounding gender-affirming care. This discussion delves into the psychiatric perspective on this important and often debated topic. Dr Andrew Amos is Director of Training – Psychiatry for North Queensland, Deputy Editor of Australasian Psychiatry, and Chairs the RANZCP’s Section of Rural Psychiatry (QLD), and the eLearning Advisory Group. With the North Queensland Regional Training A...
May 20, 2024•1 hr 46 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Genevieve Rayner about the intricate interplay of neurobiology and psychosocial factors contributing to mood and cognitive disorders in epilepsy and other neurological conditions. Dr Genevieve Rayner is a practicing clinical neuropsychologist and lecturer in clinical neuropsychology at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. As a clinician-scientist, she balances her clinical and academic work with her role as a senior neuro...
Apr 22, 2024•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr James Dunn about strategies that support superior face identification accuracy and contextual influences on face identification as well as his most interesting research on Super-recognisers which he has been studying using the UNSW Face Test . James Dunn is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney. Current areas of interest include face and person recognition, forensic science and individual differences with both applie...
Apr 10, 2024•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Kelly Clemens about the intricate realms of addiction neuroscience, including behavioural neuroscience of nicotine dependence as well as the epigenetic consequences of drug addiction. Kelly Clemens is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology, and Associate Dean of Impact Partnerships for the Faculty of Science, UNSW. Kelly has studied at the University of Otago and the University of Sydney, with post-doctoral experience at th...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Mark Horowitz about exploring expert strategies for tapering off SSRIs and managing withdrawal symptoms. Dr Mark Horowitz MBBS PhD is a Clinical Research Fellow in Psychiatry in the National Health Service (NHS) in England and an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) and a trainee psychiatrist. He runs a deprescribing clinic in the NHS helping people to stop psychiatric medications. He co-authored the Royal Col...
Mar 24, 2024•57 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Suzy Green enhancing mental health outcomes in organizations and schools through positive psychology, emphasizing the promotion of mental wellbeing over solely addressing mental illness. Dr Suzy Green is a Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience in the treatment of mental illness, Dr Green is on a mission to reduce the impact of mental illness in our workplaces, schools and communities and promote the value of improving ment...
Mar 18, 2024•53 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Jayashri Kulkarni about her research on the connections between mental health, such as depression, with premenstrual cycles most notably premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual exacerbation (PME). Professor Jayashri Kulkarni AM graduated in Medicine from Monash University in 1981 and became a Fellow of the College of Psychiatrists in 1988. Jayashri commenced her appointment as Professor of Psychiatry at The Alfred and M...
Mar 13, 2024•53 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lucette Cysique about the importance of understanding post-viral syndromes and how it can pave the way for enhanced long-term outcomes, benefiting both individuals and the wider community. Associate Professor Lucette Cysique , a neuropsychologist researcher whos intrests lie in Modelling neurocognitive and brain changes based on chronic infectious conditions such as HIV infection and COVID-19. Lucette completed her Neuro/Psychology und...
Mar 08, 2024•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Anna Kiaos about qualitative research methods and practices, offering valuable insights into understanding mental health within organisations. Dr Anna Kiaos is a critical ethnographer with a passion for psychiatry, psychology and mental health. Her research explores the boundary between the psychological and societal focused views of the self. Specifically, her PhD research encompassed several interconnected topics, notably, manager...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Philip Jean-Richard Dit Bressel about his research on neural circuitry using animal models to explore reward and punishment paradigms, their impact on decision-making processes, alongside a discussion on the gamification of research protocols in human studies. Dr Philip Jean-Richard Dit Bressel is a behavioural neuroscientist at UNSW School of Psychology. Currently investigating psychobiological mechanisms of motivated learning by c...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 58 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Michael Kasumovic about how humans respond to status both percieved and actual and how this can moderate specific behaviour. Michael Matthew Kasumovic is an Associate Professor at University of New South Wales and Teacher & Director of Arludo. His research explores how the social environment shapes the evolution of individual traits and behaviours. In this broad research question, Michael has explored how access to resources in ins...
Feb 01, 2024•1 hr 36 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Tayla Degan about health literacy and how important it is to consider both as a clinican and as a consumer of health services. Dr Tayla Degan is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), University of New South Wales, Australia. She is also a registered Clinical Psychologist working in private practice at Beachside Physiotherapy and Psychology, Cronulla NSW. She has research expertise a...
Jan 27, 2024•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Natalie Taylor about the complexity and importance of implementation scientists and the factors that go into behaviour change within systems. Natalie Taylor is an implementation scientist. She works both in a research and consulting capacity to help develop and apply optimal ways for organisations to adopt and rollout evidence based initiatives into practice with the goal of improving outcomes for patients and health-workers. Natalie’s...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 4 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Conal Monaghan about dimensional models of personality disorder as well as the limitations and merits in the current diagnostic method. Dr Conal Monaghan was conferred his PhD (Clinical Psychology) from the ANU in 2019. He also graduated with a degree in marketing with a major in international business - but we don’t speak of the “dark” years. Currently, Conal works as a clinical psychologist at headspace Canberra, with PARSA’s PhD ...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 36 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Nick Haslam about “concept creep” in the field of psychology and how it has reshaped many aspects of modern society. Nick Haslam is Professor of Psychology at the University of Melbourne. He received his BA(Hons) from the University of Melbourne, his MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, and taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City before returning to Australia in 2002. Nick's research interests are in pe...
Dec 08, 2023•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Janet Hall about user-friendly strategies offering practical solutions to sexual and relationship issues. Dr. Janet Hall is a retired psychologist of 40 years and still working as a, hypnotherapist, sex therapist, author, professional speaker, trainer, and media consultant. Dr Jan consults regularly with print media and is a frequent guest on talk-back radio and current affairs shows. Dr Jan was a regular for two years on the Sex Li...
Dec 05, 2023•1 hr
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Rebecca Collie about promoting and understanding educational settings to help both teachers and student thrive. Rebecca Collie is a Scientia Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in the UNSW School of Education. She conducts research in the areas of motivation, wellbeing, and social-emotional development using quantitative research methods. Her research also encompasses related factors such as adaptability, engagement, interper...
Nov 27, 2023•58 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Paul Fitzgerald about the development of novel brain stimulation treatment options including repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) for patients with depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, autism and Alzheimer’s disease. Paul Fitzgerald is the Head of the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University. He is a qualified psychiatrist, has a MBBS degree, Masters of Psychologi...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Divna Haslam about child maltreatment and the findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study, which conducted the first prevalence data of child maltreatment in Australia. Dr Divna Haslam is a clinical psychologist and family researcher based in the Faculty of Law at Queensland University of Technology, working in the area of childhood adversity. She holds an adjunct appointment at the Parenting and Family Support Centre at the Un...
Nov 13, 2023•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Helen Joyce about the complexities society faces with trying to support and understand transgender people’s experiences while also trying to preserve commonly held societal rules. Helen Joyce is an Irish journalist and critic of the transgender rights movement. She studied as a mathematician and worked in academia before becoming a journalist. Joyce began working for The Economist as education correspondent for its Britain section in 2...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 44 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Jodie Fleming about understanding chronic illness management to finding values during difficult times. Dr Jodie Fleming is a Clinical and Health Psychologist; Positive Psychology Practitioner; Australia’s only certified Run Walk Talk Therapist; author, and wellness retreat leader. Jodie has an extensive history of working in the areas of mental health and chronic illness, but currently enjoys working as a School Psychologist in Warr...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 31 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Ilan Dar-Nimrod about the effects of perceived genetic aetiology for various phenomena. Dr. Ilan Dar-Nimrod is an Associate Professor at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney. Ilan has completed his BA with a double major at Haifa University and his MA and PhD (social psychology) at the University of British Columbia. Ilan’s main research focus is social cognition – the manner in which our social world affects our cognition. W...
Jul 21, 2023•1 hr 20 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Kristie Miller about the nature of time, perspectives of time, and temporal experience. Professor Kristie Miller took up an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Queensland in Jan of 2006. In July of that 2006 Prof Miller moved to Sydney with the grant and in January of 2009 she was awarded a University of Sydney DVC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. Since 2011, Prof Miller has been a Senior...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 27 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Alexander Holcombe about the replication crisis, trust in science, and the causes of the replication crisis. Alex Holcombe is a professor at the University of Sydney, who received his PhD in psychology from Harvard University in 2000. He has a strong interest in improving scientific practices and has been involved in the Association for Interdisciplinary Meta-research and Open Science, the Free Journal Network, PLoS ONE, the WikiJourna...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 41 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Celine van Golde about the reliability of children as eyewitnesses and how that research has informed memory for repeated crimes (such as domestic violence) in adults. Dr. Celine van Golde is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on the reliability of eyewitness memory in children and adults, both for one-off and repeated events. Specifically, how interviewing techniques in ...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 43 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Fiona Kumfor about social cognition in clinical syndromes with a focus on dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases. Dr Fiona Kumfor holds a Masters of Clinical Neuropsychology from Macquarie University and a PhD in Neuroscience from University of New South Wales. She is currently an NHMRC Career Development Fellow, Associate Professor in the School of Psychology and registered Clinical Neuropsychologist with AHPRA. Combining he...
May 26, 2023•1 hr 26 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Micah Goldwater about understanding the psychology of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. Dr Micah Goldwater received his BA in Linguistics from the University of Rochester in 2003, completed his PhD in Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2009, and then held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northwestern University until joining the University of Sydney in 2013. Dr. Goldwater's research investigates the nature, acquisit...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 36 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Stephen Hinshaw about his work on developmental psychopathology, clinical interventions with young people and addressing mental illness stigma in the community. Stephen Hinshaw is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was Department Chair from 2004-2011. He is also Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. He received his...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 26 min
