Litza Kiropoulos

Associate Professor Litza Kiropoulos is a clinician-researcher and academic in the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. She holds a PhD from the University of Melbourne, a Masters (Coursework and Research) from Deakin University, a Bachelors Degree (Honours) from Deakin University, and a Bachelors Degree. As Director of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Laboratory, her research investigates biological, psychological, social, and cognitive mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. This includes longitudinal examinations of transdiagnostic cognitive factors across community, clinical, and medically ill populations, such as those with multiple sclerosis and endometriosis. She leads the development and evaluation of novel face-to-face and e-mental health psychological interventions through randomized controlled trials, targeting depression, anxiety, and related symptoms in diverse cultural and clinical groups, including people with chronic illnesses.

In her career, Associate Professor Kiropoulos served as the inaugural Clinic Director of the University of Melbourne Psychology Clinic and held a joint research and clinical leadership role in the Psychology Department at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where she currently heads the Clinical Psychology Service in the Neuroimmunology Centre. She coordinates several subjects in the Master of Clinical Psychology program and has developed short courses for health professionals on compassion fatigue, cross-cultural clinical practice, and managing depression and anxiety in chronic illness. Key funded projects include the ACTION-MS online intervention for mild to moderate depression in multiple sclerosis, supported by an MS Australia project grant, and a CAIDE and LTI grant for a chatbot platform to train provisional psychologists. Her notable publications encompass 'A Longitudinal Transdiagnostic Cognitive Model of Depression and Anxiety in Chronic Inflammatory Disease: Evidence from Multiple Sclerosis and Endometriosis' (2026), 'Profiles of Emotion Regulation Difficulties in People with Multiple Sclerosis: Associations with Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms' (2026), 'Bridging the Gap: A Symptom Network Analysis of Depression, Anxiety, and Fatigue in Multiple Sclerosis' (2026), and 'A pilot randomized controlled trial of a tailored cognitive behavioural internet intervention for depression in people newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis' (2016). With over 3,100 citations on Google Scholar, her work significantly influences understanding and treatment of mood disorders in medically ill populations.

Professional Email: litzak@unimelb.edu.au