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PhD (Neuroscience) (University of British Columbia), BSc (Hons I) - Psychology (University of Queensland), BSc (University of Queensland)
My primary research interests are in child and youth mental health. I conduct multi-disciplinary longitudinal research projects that use cognitive neuroscience and life-course epidemiology methods to characterise developmental pathways from childhood to diverse health, social, and educational outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood. I am motivated to identify new prevention and early intervention opportunities in childhood that promote successful development for all individuals, and I work with clinical colleagues and educational professionals to develop new prevention and intervention programs for young people.
I have received fellowship support for my research via an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2018-2022), and from the National Institute of Health Research in the UK (Career Development Fellowship [ 2008-2012]; and Postdoctoral Fellowship [2005-2008]), as well as grant funding from diverse sources, including the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Australian Research Council, and Medical Research Future Fund.
Projects
Additional information
- Carpendale, E., Green, M., Dix, K., Tzoumakis, S., Williams, K., White, S., Carr, V. & Laurens, K. (2025). An exploratory evaluation of universal social-emotional learning programs delivered during elementary school to Australian students. Journal of School Psychology, 110. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/256470
- Carpendale, E., Green, M., White, S., Williams, K., Tzoumakis, S., Watkeys, O., Harris, F., O'Hare, K., Carr, V. & Laurens, K. (2025). Promoting effective transitions: Primary school social-emotional competencies predict secondary school reading and numeracy achievement. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 496–512. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255010
- Green, M., Watkeys, O., Harris, F., O'Hare, K., Whitten, T., Tzoumakis, S., Laurens, K., Carpendale, E., Dean, K. & Carr, V. (2024). Cohort Profile Update: The New South Wales Child Development Study (NSW-CDS) - Wave 3 (child age -18 years). International Journal of Epidemiology, 53(3). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248791
- Laurens, K., Graham, L., Dix, K., Harris, F., Tzoumakis, S., Williams, K., Schofield, J., Prendergast, T., Waddy, N., Taiwo, M., Carr, V. & Green, M. (2022). School-Based Mental Health Promotion and Early Intervention Programs in New South Wales, Australia: Mapping Practice to Policy and Evidence. School Mental Health, 14(3), 582–597. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/226937
- Laurens, K., Dean, K., Whitten, T., Tzoumakis, S., Harris, F., Waddy, N., Prendergast, T., Taiwo, M., Carr, V. & Green, M. (2021). Early childhood predictors of elementary school suspension: An Australian record linkage study. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 77. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/226404
- Laurens, K., Islam, F., Kariuki, M., Harris, F., Chilvers, M., Butler, M., Schofield, J., Essery, C., Brinkman, S., Carr, V. & Green, M. (2020). Reading and numeracy attainment of children reported to child protection services: A population record linkage study controlling for other adversities. Child Abuse and Neglect, 101, 1–15.
- Laurens, K., Murphy, J., Dickson, H., Roberts, R. & Gutteridge, T. (2020). Trajectories of mismatch negativity and P3a amplitude development from ages 9 to 16 years in children with risk factors for schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, 5(12), 1085–1094. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/205198
- Jolley, S., Kuipers, E., Stewart, C., Browning, S., Bracegirdle, K., Basit, N., Gin, K., Hirsch, C., Corrigall, R., Banerjea, P., Turley, G., Stahl, D. & Laurens, K. (2018). The Coping with Unusual Experiences for Children Study (CUES): A pilot randomized controlled evaluation of the acceptability and potential clinical utility of a cognitive behavioural intervention package for young people aged 8-14 years with unusual. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57(3), 328–350. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/122008
- Laurens, K., Tzoumakis, S., Dean, K., Brinkman, S., Bore, M., Lenroot, R., Smith, M., Holbrook, A., Robinson, K., Stevens, R., Harris, F., Carr, V. & Green, M. (2017). The 2015 Middle Childhood Survey (MCS) of mental health and well-being at age 11 years in an Australian population cohort. BMJ Open, 7(6), 1–16. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/122043
- Laurens, K. & Cullen, A. (2016). Toward earlier identification and preventative intervention in schizophrenia: evidence from the London Child Health and Development Study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 51(4), 475–491. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/122025
- Title
- Out-of-School Suspension and Police Contact: Identifying Early Opportunities to Disrupt the School-to-Prison Pipeline
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- P21/510 CRG 22/21-22
- Start year
- 2022
- Keywords
- Title
- Growing Minds Australia: A National Trials Strategy to Transform Child and Youth Mental Health Services
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 2006438
- Start year
- 2021
- Keywords
- child; health literacy; developmental disorders; early detection; early intervention
- Title
- Achieving Better Mental Health for Maltreated Children: Translating Population Data into Policy
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 1133833
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
- child maltreatment; child development; child health; record linkage; resilience
- Title
- Developmental Schizotypy in the General Population: Early Risk Factors and Predictive Utility
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 1148055
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
- Title
- The Role of Social-Emotional Learning in Attaining Literacy and Numeracy
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- FT170100294
- Start year
- 2018
- Keywords
- Title
- Determinants of Risk and Resilience in Maltreated Children Using Multi-Agency Administrative Records: A population Record-Linkage Study
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 162302
- Start year
- 2017
- Keywords
- Title
- Identifying New Targets for Primary School Mental Health Interventions Using Population Data
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- 1058652
- Start year
- 2014
- Keywords
- mental health promotion; child health; child development; school-based intervention; developmental outcomes; risk factors; protective factors; school health promotion; psychiatric epidemiology; record linkage
- Title
- Identifying Targets and Timing for Early Intervention: A NSW Population Record-Linkage Study to Detect Childhood Indicators of Risk for Mental Illness
- Primary fund type
- CAT 1 - Australian Competitive Grant
- Project ID
- Start year
- 2011
- Keywords
- Associations between school disciplinary exclusion and mental health difficulties among children in New South Wales, Australia
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Darren Wraith - Exclusionary school discipline and justice system involvement: Identifying opportunities to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Linda Graham - Developmental Patterns of Brain Dysfunction During Error Processing Among Adolescents at Risk for Schizophrenia
MPhil, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Hinze Hogendoorn
- Measuring and Fostering Social-Emotional Competencies in Middle Childhood: An Australian Population Cohort Study (2024)
- Examining how attention and prediction modulate visual perception: A predictive coding view (2022)
- Environmental risk factors and antecedents for schizophrenia: A focus on social stressors (2016)
- The early impact of stigma and discrimination on pathways to care for young people at early risk states of psychotic disorders (2016)
- Cognitive and facial emotion processing abnormalities among children at-risk for schizophrenia : candidate targets for early identification? (2014)
- Identifying neuroanatomical subtypes of psychosis (2014)
- Increased stress susceptibility and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction : early markers of psychosis vulnerability? (2014)
- Psychotic-like experiences and psychometric schizotypy : their relationships with depressive symptoms and theory of mind in adolescents from the general population (2013)