Personal profile
Personal profile
I study the causes and correlates of individual differences in mental health and academic achievement, combining behavioural genetics, statistical genetics, psychometrics, and innovative assessment methods. My research uses twin studies and DNA-based approaches to increase the understanding of the influences that shape these differences.
My current work focuses on how early educational experiences are associated with mental health outcomes, both during childhood and later in life. I aim to identify specific risk factors, such as the school environment, school type, and levels of parental and teacher support, that can predict these outcomes while accounting for genetic influences.
The goal of my research is to contribute to interventions that help each individual reach their full potential, enhancing both educational success and overall wellbeing.
Education/Academic qualification
Bahavioural Genetics, PhD, Genetic and environmental underpinnings of educational achievement at the end of compulsory education and beyond, Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatric Centre
Award Date: 30 Sept 2017
External positions
Visiting researcher, Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatric Centre
Keywords
- Developmental psychology
- Genetics
- Genomics
- Psychology of mental health
- Psychometrics
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Disorder-Specific Genetic Effects Drive the Associations Between Psychopathology and Cognitive Functioning
Liao, W., Keser, E., Allegrini, A., Rimfeld, K., Plomin, R. & Malanchini, M., Mar 2026, In: Biological psychiatry global open science. 6, 2, 100680.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
How are children's perceptions of the home environment associated with a general psychopathology factor across childhood?
Nejand, J. K., Malanchini, M., Voronin, I., Eley, T. C. & Rimfeld, K., Feb 2026, In: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 67, 2, p. 266-281 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Specificity of Polygenic Scores for Psychiatric Disorders Beyond Transdiagnostic Genetic Risk
Keser, E., Liao, W., Allegrini, A. G., Eley, T. C., Rimfeld, K., Malanchini, M. & Plomin, R., 8 Jan 2026, In: JAMA network open. 9, 1, e2548518.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
From genetic disposition to academic achievement: The mediating role of non-cognitive skills across development
Zhou, Q., Liao, W., Allegrini, A. G., Rimfeld, K., Wertz, J., Morris, T., Raffington, L., Plomin, R. & Malanchini, M., 27 Feb 2025, In: bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Gene-environment correlation: The role of family environment in academic development
Zhou, Q., Gidziela, A., Allegrini, A. G., Cheesman, R., Wertz, J., Maxwell, J., Plomin, R., Rimfeld, K. & Malanchini, M., Mar 2025, In: Molecular Psychiatry. 30, p. 999-1008 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
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Genetics, educational environments, and student mental health: causal links and long-term outcomes
Rimfeld, K. (PI) & Anderberg, D. (CoI)
1/09/25 → 31/08/28
Project: Research
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Examining the associations between educational experiences and mental health from childhood to adulthood
Rimfeld, K. (PI)
4/01/22 → 3/10/23
Project: Research