Rate My Professor Karina Rune

Dr. Karina Rune is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology within the School of Health at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC). She joined UniSC as a full-time Lecturer in Psychology in 2018, after serving as a sessional tutor, lecturer, and research assistant while completing her PhD there. Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology) with Honours and a PhD from UniSC, as well as a Master’s degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Edinburgh. Since 2019, she has been the course coordinator for Introduction to Psychology A and B courses, employing a flipped classroom model. She also holds the position of Blended Learning Lead for the School of Social Sciences. Currently, she is completing a Master of Clinical Psychology and is registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a provisional psychologist.

Rune’s research centers on cognitive psychology, particularly attention biases in eating disorders and chronic pain management. From 2015 to 2018, she served as project manager for a collaborative study on chronic pain among Australian Defence Force members and veterans, partnering with Queensland University of Technology. Additional research encompasses situational awareness and road safety for ambulance drivers, as well as adjunct treatments for eating disorders through projects with the Butterfly Foundation and BTC Australia. Her recent work explores psychological aspects of cancer, including sexual quality of life post-diagnosis and supportive care for colorectal cancer patients. Notable publications include “A qualitative exploration of driving stress and driving discourtesy” (Scott-Parker et al., 2018, Accident Analysis & Prevention), “Review of the graduated driver licensing programs in Australasia” (Scott-Parker & Rune, 2016, Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety), “A neurotic extrovert who is open to new experiences? Understanding how personality traits may impact the commenting behaviors of online news readers” (Barnes et al., 2017, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media), “Attention bias for appearance words can be reduced in women: Results from a single-session attention bias modification task” (Allen et al., 2018, Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry), and “COVID-19’s impact on learning processes in Australian university students” (Eckley et al., 2023, Social Psychology of Education). Awards include the USC Advance Awards for Advancing Quality Teaching (2016, team award), Rotary Postgraduate Scholarship (2014), USC Research Scholarship (2014), and Faculty Commendation for Academic Excellency (2013).