I joined King’s College London as a Research Associate in February 2020. My work focuses on health inequalities in the relationship between mental health and chronic conditions, with particular attention to health outcomes and access to care. I also apply natural language processing (NLP) methods to large-scale health data, and work on the development and management of NLP applications for BRC research projects to investigate patterns in clinical records and improve the understanding of patient trajectories and service use. As of 2023, I am also the main lead for the postgraduate module Systematic Reviews in Mental Health. In addition, I am a recurrent guest lecturer at the University of Liverpool, teaching on a module on Body Image and Media.

I hold a PhD from the University of Liverpool, where my research examined the impact of stigma and discrimination on mental and physical health among individuals living with obesity. I am also a board member of the European Association for the Study of Obesity Early Career Network, where I contribute to initiatives supporting early-career researchers and fostering international collaboration with obesity experts and patient representatives.

Research Interests

• Health Inequalities
• Mental health
• Obesity
• Chronic conditions

Research Groups

I am a member of the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), working with Natural Language Processing (NLP) experts on the development and management of NLP applications for BRC research projects.

Teaching

I am the main lead for the postgraduate module Systematic Reviews in Mental Health. 

Expertise and Public Engagement 

As a member of EASO ECN, I yearly contribute to the organisation of scientific sessions, networking activities, and evaluation submissions for the annual European Congress on Obesity (ECO). I have joined the European Coalition for People living with Obesity School of Science, teaching patient representatives and advocates about stigma and its impact on health outcomes. I have collaborated to many systematic reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization, and I have participated in the development of clinical practice guidelines in collaboration with organisations such as the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery (EAES) and International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO). 

Additional Information

I obtained her accreditation as a psychologist from the University of Padua, Italy.