In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Associate Professor Jacqueline Anderson about the long-term impact of traumatic brain injuries and how they affect cognition, identity, and daily life. Jacqueline Anderson, PhD , is an Associate Professor in Clinical Neuropsychology in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences. She is also the Convenor of the School’s flagship postgraduate training program in Clinical Neuropsychology. As well as undertaking research in the area of...
Aug 07, 2025•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. David Healy about how psychotropic drugs and clinical trials have influenced the way we understand mental health and the broader impact these developments have had on society. David Healy, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine in McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, is a doctor, psychiatrist, psychopharmacologist, scientist and author. His main areas of research are the contribution of antidepressants to suicide, conf...
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 34 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Jae Jung about how to better understand and support gifted students, the importance of differentiated education, and the future of high-ability learning. Jae Yup Jung, PhD is a Professor in the School of Education and the Director of the Gifted Education Research, Resource and Information Centre (GERRIC) at The University of New South Wales, Australia. His research program, which incorporates various topics relating to gifted...
Jul 14, 2025•1 hr 11 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lisa Anne Williams about how our emotions are shaped by social experiences and the powerful, adaptive functions of positive social emotions like pride and gratitude. Dr. Lisa A. Williams is a social psychologist whose research examines the dynamics between emotional experience and social interaction. Much of her research focuses on how positive emotions that arise in the context of social interactions function at the interpersonal, int...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 29 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Nik Steffens about how identity, connection, and purpose shape not only individual outcomes but also drive collective success within organizations. Niklas Steffens is Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Business and Organisational Psychology (CBOP) in UQ's School of Psychology. He lived, worked, and studied psychology in Germany and Spain and completed his PhD in the UK before working at The University of Queensland (Aus...
Jul 03, 2025•1 hr 14 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Zhi Yi Ong about the neurobiology of food intake, exploring how gut-brain interactions shape eating behavior and its connection to addiction. Zhi Yi Ong is a Senior Lecturer and ARC Future Fellow at the UNSW School of Psychology. She completed her PhD in Biomedical Science at the University of South Australia and later undertook postdoctoral training in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Zhi Yi's resear...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 18 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Lana Tikhomirov about the intersection of AI and human decision-making, exploring its ethical concerns, cognitive challenges, and growing role in high-stakes fields like healthcare. Lana Tikhomirov is an AI safety researcher at the Australian Institute for Machine Learning, where she focuses on developing ethical, human-centered artificial intelligence systems for medical decision-making. Her interdisciplinary PhD bridges cognitive sci...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Simon Byrne about evolving approaches to anxiety treatment—including CBT and ACT—and how evidence-based models can better support children’s mental health. Dr Simon Byrne is a Lecturer at the University of Queensland (UQ) since 2021. He completed a PhD/Masters of Clinical Psychology in child anxiety at Macquarie University. He has held postdoctoral positions at Yale Child Study Centre, as well as Westmead Hospital Psychiatry Departm...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Poppy Watson about compulsive reward-seeking behavior, commonly seen in drug or gambling addiction, but also in more subtle forms that influence our everyday actions and habits. The research interests of Dr Poppy Watson lie at the intersection of motivation, attention and choice behaviour. A fundamental question in human psychology is whether we are totally in control of the choices we make and the extent to which we rely on environ...
Mar 13, 2025•1 hr 10 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Amy Peden about the global drowning crisis, the key risk factors involved, and what can be done to reduce these tragic incidents. Dr Amy Peden is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Population Health at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney Australia, where she is also the co-founder of the UNSW Beach Safety Research Group. She maintains an honorary Senior Research Fellow position with Royal Life Saving Society – ...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 24 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Robyn Walser about using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help individuals navigate and heal from trauma. Robyn D Walser, PhD is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, educator, and author. She is the Director of Trauma and Life Consultation and Psychology Services, Assistant Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Director of Research at Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services. Dr. Walse...
Feb 14, 2025•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Ahu Kocak about her experience in developing suicide assessment and prevention strategies in correctional settings. Ahu Kocak is endorsed in Forensic Psychology with over 14 years experience in prison, court and private practice settings. She holds a Bachelor of Science Psychology, Masters of Psychology (Forensic), Graduate Certificate in Law and Masters of Terrorism and Security Studies. She is a full member of the Australian Psycholo...
Feb 10, 2025•54 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Ben Newell about the power of behavioral science and the role that psychology can play in motivating individuals and societies to take meaningful action on climate change. Ben Newell is Professor of Behavioural Science in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney, and Director of the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response (ICRR). His research focuses on the cognitive processes underlying judgment, choice and decision-making and t...
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 35 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Kim Delbaere about understanding physical, psychological and cognitive factors causing falls as well as topics about promoting healthy ageing. Professor Kim Delbaere is a Senior Principal Research Scientist and Director of Innovation & Translation at the Falls, Balance & Injury Research Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia. Kim has made major contributions to identifying risk factors for falls and sub-optimal age...
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 16 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Stefan Carlo Michalski about using an AI-powered VR application to build life skills and improve healthcare access for people with intellectual disabilities. Dr. Stefan Michalski is a Research Fellow in the National Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health at the University of New South Wales. His research has focused on the use of immersive virtual reality (VR) to improve real-world outcomes for clinical populations,...
Dec 08, 2024•1 hr 17 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Jacinta Hawgood about evaluating suicide prevention training programs, their effectiveness, and the critical role they play in reducing suicide rates. Jacinta Hawgood is Associate Professor and Program Director of Suicidology at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP), Griffith University, where she has worked since 2000. She is a recognised national and international expert in suicide prevention and educa...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 22 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Lydia Brown about understanding and enhancing well-being during the menopause transition and aging. Lydia Brown is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne. She earned her PhD in 2015, focusing on self-compassion and menopause, and subsequently completed postdoctoral training in Healthy Aging at both Harvard Medical School and The University of Melbourne. Her re...
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Jill Maree Newby about innovative technology-based interventions for depression and anxiety, highlighting the impact and effectiveness of internet and e-mental health approaches in modern mental health care. Jill Maree Newby is an Australian psychologist who is a professor and National Health and Medical Research Council Emerging Leader at the Black Dog Institute in the University of New South Wales. She has developed technol...
Oct 17, 2024•1 hr
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Ivan Raymond about the concept of intentional practice, which helps individuals and communities navigate complexity by offering a common framework for thinking and planning. Dr Ivan Raymond i s a clinical psychologist and the Director of the Life Buoyancy Institute Foundation. He work brings focus to the translation of science into practice. He partners with government, non-government agencies, research institutions, schools and pro...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Kristy Martire about how evidence is evaluated in criminal trials and ways to enhance communication between experts and lay decision-makers in forensic settings. Dr. Kristy Martire is a Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia. Her research aims to better understand the development of expertise, processes of evidence evaluation in criminal trials, and to improve the communication betw...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 20 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Stevan Nikolin about understanding how depression affects brain activity and how this knowledge is being used to develop new treatments and improve existing ones. Dr Stevan Nikolin is a Neuroscience Fellow at the Black Dog Institute, specializing in the intersection of brain activity and depression. As both a neuroscientist and clinical researcher, his work focuses on developing and optimizing treatments for depression, including no...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 36 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Margaret Morris about the connection between poor diet and behavior, and how dietary changes can help mitigate the behavioral effects of early life stress. Margaret Morris is a Professor of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of NSW. She uses neuropharmacological approaches to explore underlying brain mechanisms in epilepsy, obesity, diabetes, and the link between obesity and high blood pressure. She has d...
Sep 23, 2024•56 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr David Bakker on the use of technology such as smartphone apps for mental health purposes. David Bakker is a clinical psychologist in private practice at Archer Street Health in Hobart. He is also a lecturer and research supervisor at the Institute for Social Neuroscience, which trains postgraduate psychology students in Melbourne. He is passionate about engaging the broader public in evidence-based psychological strategies and thera...
Sep 17, 2024•1 hr 19 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Kamilah Majied about her insightful book entitled “Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living”. Dr. Majied is Professor of Social Work at California State University, Monterey Bay. She teaches clinical practice to graduate students employing psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based, and artistic approaches to well-being. She also teaches research methods, social and organizational policy ana...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor Sally Gainsbury about the differences between problematic and recreational gambling while exploring the development of responsible gambling strategies. Professor Sally Gainsbury, PhD, Doctor.ClinPsych, BPsych(Hons) is a leader in gambling psychology research, focussing on using science to inform the development of responsible gambling strategies. Sally Gainsbury is a Professor in the School of Psychology and Director of Austr...
Jul 01, 2024•42 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr. Christoph Klebl about the psychology of climate change and biodiversity, and his work on aesthetics and morality that relates to that (e.g., why people are most concerned about protecting beautiful animal species). Dr. Christoph Klebl is a postdoctoral research fellow at the School of Psychology, University of Queensland. His research lies at the intersection of social, environmental, and moral psychology, focusing on factors that ...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 25 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr Kinga Szymaniak about the impacts of anger on the way we think and act, and how it shapes our decisions and judgments. Kinga Szymaniak is a Research Associate in the School of Psychology at UNSW. She was awarded her PhD in 2022 from the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Warsaw, Poland. Kinga’s research interests revolve around emotions (with a focus on anger), cognition, and behaviour. Kinga’s goal is to better understand t...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 21 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with John Sweller about The Cognitive Load Theory which suggests that learning happens best under conditions that are aligned with human cognitive architecture. John Sweller is an educational psychologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of New South Wales. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Adelaide’s Department of Psychology in 1972. He is best known for formulating cognitive load theory, which uses our knowledge of evolut...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 23 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Professor David Blustein about the complexities surrounding the psychology of working and its profound impact on mental health, while shedding light on the challenges posed by work poverty. Dr Blustein is a Professor and Golden Eagle Faculty Fellow in the Department of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College. Dr. Blustein is the author of The Psychology of Working: A New Perspective for Career Developmen...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 27 min
In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Rob Brooks about the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence on reshaping human sexual perspectives and interactions and how it revolutionizes our understanding in the realm of human sexuality. Rob Brooks , a Scientia Professor of Evolution at UNSW Sydney. He both founded and directed from 2007 to 2019 the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre. His research mostly considers the conflicting evolutionary interests that make sex sizzle...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 26 min
