Skip to main contentAll experts

DrMelissa Kirkovski

Lecturer in Psychology

Faculty of Health/School of Psychology

Orcid identifier0000-0003-3395-8525 (opens in a new tab)⁠
  • Lecturer in Psychology
    Faculty of Health/School of Psychology
  • +61 3 925 17795 (Work)
  • Melbourne Burwood Campus, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125

BIO

Dr Kirkovski is a Lecturer and researcher within the School of Psychology. Previously, she held an Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellowship within the Cognitive Neuroscience Unit (CNU), School of Psychology. 

 

Melissa's research focuses on understanding neurobiological basis of, and overlap between, autism spectrum disorder and anorexia nervosa, with a focus on social cognition, executive function, and the role of biological sex. A second stream of her research takes a basic science approach to understanding the neural mechanisms underlying non-invasive brain stimulation, which is used to inform and provide proof-of-concept for clinical research using this technology.


Melissa has experience using a variety of neuro-scientific modalities, including: functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG). 

 

Her research expertise also informs her teaching. Melissa is unit chair of HPS395 - Biological Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience), and is also a lecturer in HPS203/773 - Cognitive Psychology, HPS779/979 - Psychological Assessment, and HPS714/914 - Studies in Psychopathology. 

DEAKIN UNIVERSITY CURRENT APPOINTMENT

  • Lecturer in Psychology
    Deakin University, School of Psychology

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Senior Lecturer
    Victoria Universty, Psychology, Melbourne, AustraliaSep 2022 - Sep 2024
  • Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow
    Deakin University, Burwood, AustraliaJan 2020 - Sep 2022
  • Research Fellow
    Deakin University, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Melbourne, AustraliaJan 2016 - Dec 2020
  • Research Assistant
    Deakin University, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Burwood, AustraliaJan 2015 - Dec 2016
  • Research Assistant
    Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Melbourne, AustraliaJan 2013 - Dec 2014
  • Sessional tutor
    Monash University, Psychology, Melbourne, AustraliaJan 2012 - Dec 2012

NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Visitor
    Deakin University, Psychology, Burwood, AustraliaSep 2022 - Sep 2024
  • Independent Contractor/Clinical Trials
    Barwon Health, Adrian Costa Clinical Trials Centre, Geelong, AustraliaJan 2022 - Dec 2022

DEGREES

  • Doctor of Philosophy
    Monash University
  • Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (Learning and Teaching)
    Deakin University, Melbourne, AustraliaMar 2025 - Jul 2026
  • Graduate Diploma in Psychology
    Deakin University
  • Bachelor of Psychology
    RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

FIELDS OF RESEARCH

  • Neurosciences
  • Biological psychology
  • Applied and developmental psychology
  • Clinical sciences
  • Cognitive and computational psychology

AVAILABILITY FOR SUPERVISION

  • Masters by Research and PhD supervision

AREA/FACULTY

  • Faculty of Health

DEPARTMENT/SCHOOL/INSTITUTE/DISCIPLINE

  • School of Psychology