BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL APPROACHES TO OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE, BODY IMAGE AND EATING DISORDERS
Dr Nicola Acevedo, Neuroscientist and Research Fellow
Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
& Consultant, Neurotech Insights, Melbourne, Australia &
Director, BioAutism, Melbourne, Australia & Vice-President
Australasian Brain Stimulation Society
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Melbourne, Australia | December 2025
Dr Nicola Acevedo is a Neuroscientist and Research Fellow with extensive expertise in developing novel therapeutics for neurological and psychiatric disorders, contributing to more than ten clinical trials. She specialises in brain stimulation and psychedelic treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions, with a strong commitment to advancing personalised, evidence-based neurobiological therapies for severe psychiatric illness. Her approach integrates biopsychosocial and person-centred principles to improve treatment access and mental health outcomes.
Nicola completed her PhD on deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory OCD- described as a “tour de force”- producing eight first-author peer-reviewed publications and multiple international collaborations and papers. She now leads research in psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for OCD, body dysmorphic disorder, and anorexia nervosa. Her work has been presented at leading international forums including Oxford and Harvard University, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Congress.
Alongside her research, Nicola holds leadership positions across brain stimulation, OCD, and ethics committees, serves on a peer review board, and is Director of the charity BioAutism Ltd. She also provides mentorship and supervision, with a commitment to supporting junior researchers. Her contributions have been recognised with the Early Career Researcher (ECR) Excellence Award from Biological Psychiatry Australia. As an ECR, Nicola is driven by the potential to innovate and make an impact in national mental health services.
Source: Supplied
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3059-3620
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Liver cancer biomarkers, risk prediction & progression
Dr. Rodrigo Carlessi is an expert in Cancer Genomics and Molecular Biology, with an extensive track record in liver cancer research. He leads the Cancer Genomics Group within the Liver Disease and Regeneration Laboratory at the Curtin Medical Research Institute. He has an impressive publication record, with 43 manuscripts that have collectively garnered over 2,680 citations. His research leverages cutting-edge genomics and transcriptomics technologies, as well as long-read DNA sequencing, to explore mechanisms, identify biomarkers, and develop therapeutic targets in liver disease and cancer.
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Potassium-enriched salt in the management of hypertension
Dr Katrina Kissock is a Research Fellow in Nutrition Implementation Research and Food Policy at The George Institute for Global Health, as well as a Heart Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow and Conjoint Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at UNSW.
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Development of novel analytical and diagnostic tools using nanotechnology and microfluidics
Dr Alain Wuethrich is an NHMRC Emerging Leader fellow and ARC DECRA awardee at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.
Hailing from Switzerland, research focuses on the development of novel analytical and diagnostic tools that harness nanotechnology and microfluidics; two rapidly growing fields with high potential to provide diagnostic solutions needed for precision medicine.
