Professor Lucia Valmaggia is a leading researcher in clinical psychology and digital mental health, with a particular focus on youth mental health and the use of virtual reality for assessment and intervention. She worked at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London from 2003 to 2023 and now holds the position of Visiting Professor at the Department of Psychology. She is currently Professor of Clinical Psychology in Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.

Her areas of expertise include the development of innovative, scalable treatments using virtual reality, early intervention in psychosis, and the design and delivery of interventions for young people involved in the criminal justice system.

Professor Valmaggia holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Manchester and completed her clinical training in the Netherlands. She has an extensive publication record in high-impact journals and has made a substantial contribution to the advancement of digital therapeutics in mental health. Her work has been recognised through numerous national and international awards and competitive research funding, reflecting her leadership in translating cutting-edge science into clinical practice.

Research interests

• Virtual reality applied to mental health
• Early intervention
• Youth mental health
• Mental health of criminal justice-involved young people

Expertise and public engagement

• Delivered keynote and invited lectures at international conferences,
• Contributed expert commentary and interviews to major media outlets, including BBC, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian.
• Collaborated with clinical, research, and industry partners to translate virtual reality and digital mental health research into scalable, real-world applications.
• Exhibited at Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition