Associate Professor Elizabeth Edwards

Associate Professor & Director of Research

School of Education

+61 7 336 56215

elizabeth.edwards@uq.edu.au

Researcher biography

Dr Edwards is an Associate Professor in the School of Education where she is currently the Director of Research Innovation and Higher Degree Research. Her research spans education, psychology and medical education and her collaborators are national and international experts in these disciplines. Dr Edwards has an international reputation for contributing to understanding the link between anxiety, attention, and memory. Her work supports the notion that an inability to efficiently process information and maintain concentration, plays a critical role in the development and maintenance of emotional disorders.

Dr Edwards' latest work focusses on the translation of theory-driven, basic science into treatments for clinical problems, specifically for children and adolescents. For example, her research laboratory is currently conducting a series of studies investigating whether training the cognitive processes most vulnerable to anxiety and depression can in turn reduce emotional symptoms in children and adolescents. This work also seeks to understand the influence of cognitive training on academic achievement.

Dr Edwards completed a PhD and an honours degree in psychology (Bond University), and an undergraduate degree in education (Griffith University). For over two decades, she has worked as a primary classroom teacher, special education teacher, guidance counsellor, and psychologist. She has taught and supervised clinical, professional and research skills in education, psychology and medicine and worked in higher education in the United Kingdom and Australia. Dr Edwards joined The University of Queensland in 2020 to teach into the Master of Educational Studies (Guidance, Counselling and Careers).

Hardy, Ian, Poed, Shiralee, Gowlett, Christina, Heimans, Stephen, Edwards, Elizabeth J, Armour, Danielle, McLay, Katherine, Hameed, Suraiya Abdul, Beencke, Andrew, Lee, Richard, Balaguera, Laura Rueda and Ocriciano, Michelle (2024). A system-wide approach to enhancing education. Shaping School Success. (pp. 6-31) London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781032666839-2

Hardy, Ian, Poed, Shiralee, Gowlett, Christina, Heimans, Stephen, Edwards, Elizabeth J., Armour, Danielle, McLay, Katherine, Hameed, Suraiya Abdul, Beencke, Andrew, Lee, Richard, Balaguera, Laura Rueda and Ocriciano, Michelle (2024). Infrastructures for education. Shaping school success. (pp. 67-81) edited by Ian Hardy, Shiralee Poed, Christina Gowlett, Stephen Heimans, Elizabeth J. Edwards, Danielle Armour, Katherine McLay, Suraiya Abdul Hameed, Andrew Beencke, Richard Lee, Laura Rueda Balaguera and Michelle Ocriciano. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781032666839-5

Hardy, Ian, Poed, Shiralee, Gowlett, Christina, Heimans, Stephen, Edwards, Elizabeth J, Armour, Danielle, McLay, Katherine, Hameed, Suraiya Abdul, Beencke, Andrew, Lee, Richard, Balaguera, Laura Rueda and Ocriciano, Michelle (2024). Introduction. Shaping school success. (pp. 1-5) edited by Ian Hardy, Shiralee Poed, Christina Gowlett, Stephen Heimans, Elizabeth J. Edwards, Danielle Armour, Katherine McLay, Suraiya Abdul Hameed, Andrew Beencke, Richard Lee, Laura Rueda Balaguera and Michelle Ocriciano. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781032666839-1

Hardy, Ian, Poed, Shiralee, Gowlett, Christina, Heimans, Stephen, Edwards, Elizabeth J, Armour, Danielle, McLay, Katherine, Hameed, Suraiya Abdul, Beencke, Andrew, Lee, Richard, Balaguera, Laura Rueda and Ocriciano, Michelle (2024). Conclusion. Shaping school success. (pp. 82-87) edited by Ian Hardy, Shiralee Poed, Christina Gowlett, Stephen Heimans, Elizabeth J. Edwards, Danielle Armour, Katherine McLay, Suraiya Abdul Hameed, Andrew Beencke, Richard Lee, Laura Rueda Balaguera and Michelle Ocriciano. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781032666839-6

Journal Articles

Brimmell, Jack, Edwards, Elizabeth J., Uiga, Liis, Wood, Greg and Vaughan, Robert S. (2025). The structure of executive functions in athletes: a latent variable approach. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 78 102808, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102808

Khan, Asaduzzaman, Ahmed, Kazi R., Hidajat, Tarissa, Kolbe-Alexander, Tracy and Edwards, Elizabeth J. (2025). Correction: Khan et al. Examining the Association between Sports Participation and Mental Health of Adolescents. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 17078. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22 (4), 500. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22040500

Hoang, April, Hepburn, Stevie-Jae, Tomizawa, Saya, Carroll, Annemaree, Edwards, Elizabeth and Sanders, Matthew (2024). Using a stakeholder engagement approach to inform professional development programs to promote education for sustainability in schools. Environmental Education Research, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2024.2419903

Campbell, Marily, Edwards, Elizabeth, Pennell, Donna, Poed, Shiralee, Lister, Victoria, Gillet-Swan, Jenna, Kelly, Adrian, Zec, Dajana and Nguyen, Thuy-Anh (2024). Evidence for and against banning mobile phones in schools: A scoping review. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 34 (3), 242-265. doi: 10.1177/20556365241270394

Edwards, Elizabeth, Chu, Khanh Linh and Carroll, Annemaree (2024). Inhibitory control training for anxiety and math achievement in primary-school children: protocol for a proof-of-concept study. JMIR Research Protocols, 13 (1) e52929, 1-7. doi: 10.2196/52929

Edwards, Elizabeth J., McLeod, Geoffrey, Vaughan, Robert S. and Khan, Asaduzzaman (2024). Anxiety related distractibility deficits: too much smartphone use is not such a smart call. Behaviour and Information Technology, 43 (13), 3253-3260. doi: 10.1080/0144929X.2023.2274891

Cosgrove, Louise K., Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Cosgrove, Lara R. (2024). Benefits and barriers: improving boys’ mental health education in high schools. International Journal of Educational Research, 125 102344, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2024.102344

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Chu, Khanh Linh, John, Nikeith, Edwards, Mark S. and Lyvers, Michael (2023). Depression moderates the relationship between trait anxiety, worry and attentional control in melanoma survivors. Healthcare, 11 (23) 3097, 1-11. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11233097

Khan, Asaduzzaman, McLeod, Geoffrey, Hidajat, Tarissa and Edwards, Elizabeth J (2023). Excessive smartphone use is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality of Australian adults. Journal of Medical Systems, 47 (1) 109. doi: 10.1007/s10916-023-02005-3

Hidajat, Tarissa J., Edwards, Elizabeth J., Wood, Rachel and Campbell, Marilyn (2023). Mindfulness-based interventions for stress and burnout in teachers: a systematic review. Teaching and Teacher Education, 134 104303, 104303. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2023.104303

Khan, Asaduzzaman, McLeod, Geoffrey, Hidajat, Tarissa and Edwards, Elizabeth J. (2023). Association between sleep quality and social media use in Australian adults. Australian Psychologist, 58 (4), 308-314. doi: 10.1080/00050067.2023.2206948

Khan, Asaduzzaman, Reyad, Md Amjad Hossain, Edwards, Elizabeth and Horwood, Sharon (2023). Associations between adolescent sleep difficulties and active versus passive screen time across 38 countries. Journal of Affective Disorders, 320, 298-304. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.137

Khan, Asaduzzaman, Ahmed, Kazi R., Hidajat, Tarissa and Edwards, Elizabeth J. (2022). Examining the association between sports participation and mental health of adolescents. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (24) 17078, 1-11. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192417078

Brimmell, Jack, Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Vaughan, Robert S. (2022). Executive function and visual attention in sport: a systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 17 (2), 1-34. doi: 10.1080/1750984x.2022.2145574

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Zhang, Xiaohan, Chu, Khanh Linh, Cosgrove, Louise K. and Vaughan, Robert S. (2022). Explaining individual differences in cognitive performance: the role of anxiety, social support and living arrangements during COVID-19. Personality and Individual Differences, 198 111826, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111826

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Taylor, Caitlin S. and Vaughan, Robert S. (2022). Individual differences in self-esteem and social anxiety predict problem smartphone use in adolescents. School Psychology International, 43 (5), 460-476. doi: 10.1177/01430343221111061

Green, Patricia, Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Tower, Marion (2022). Core procedural skills competencies and the maintenance of procedural skills for medical students: a Delphi study. BMC Medical Education, 22 (1) 259, 259. doi: 10.1186/s12909-022-03323-9

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Zec, Dajana, Campbell, Marilyn, Hoorelbeke, Kristof, Koster, Ernst, H. W., Derakshan, Nazanin and Wynne, Jeffrey (2022). Cognitive control training for children with anxiety and depression: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 300, 158-171. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.108

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Arora, Bharti, Green, Patricia, Bannatyne, Amy J. and Nielson, Tracy (2022). Teaching brief motivational interviewing to medical students using a pedagogical framework. Patient Education and Counseling, 105 (7), 2315-2319. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2022.01.012

Brimmell, Jack, Edwards, Elizabeth J., Smith, Martin and Vaughan, Robert S. (2021). Think, see, do: Executive function, visual attention, and soccer penalty performance. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 10 (2), 290-309. doi: 10.1037/spy0000265

Vaughan, Robert S., Hagyard, Jack D., Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Jackson, Robin C. (2021). Reflection-impulsivity in athletes: A cross-sectional and longitudinal investigation. European Journal of Sport Science, 21 (10), 1-12. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2020.1861106

Vaughan, Robert S., Edwards, Elizabeth J. and McIntyre, Tadhg E. (2020). Mental health measurement in a post Covid-19 world: psychometric properties and invariance of the DASS-21 in athletes and non-athletes. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 590559, 590559. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590559

Vaughan, R. S., Hagyard, J. D., Brimmell, J. and Edwards, E. J. (2020). The effect of trait emotional intelligence on working memory across athletic expertise . Journal of Sports Sciences, 39 (6), 1-9. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2020.1840039

Hagyard, J. D., Brimmel, J., Edwards, E. J. and Vaughan, R. S. (2020). Inhibitory control across athletic expertise and its relationship with sport performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 43 (1), 14-27. doi: 10.1123/jsep.2020-0043

Vaughan, Robert S. and Edwards, Elizabeth J. (2020). Executive function and personality: the moderating role of athletic expertise. Personality and Individual Differences, 161 109973, 109973. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.109973

Smith, Janie Dade, Edwards, Elizabeth, Jones, Peter D, Cheek, Colleen and Hays, Richard B (2019). Transition from an MBBS to an MD program – Using innovation and thinking outside the square. MedEdPublish, 8 (3), 197. doi: 10.15694/mep.2019.000197.1

Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Edwards, Mark S. (2018). The link between anxiety and cognitive performance: What we know a decade on. The Cognitive Psychology Bulletin, 3, 11-13.

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Bannatyne, Amy J. and Stark, Ashley C. (2018). Twelve tips for teaching brief motivational interviewing to medical students. Medical Teacher, 40 (3), 231-236. doi: 10.1080/0142159X.2017.1369503

Edwards, Mark S., Edwards, Elizabeth J. and Lyvers, Michael (2017). Cognitive trait anxiety, stress and effort interact to predict inhibitory control. Cognition and Emotion, 31 (4), 671-686. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2016.1152232

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Edwards, Mark S. and Lyvers, Michael (2016). Interrelationships between trait anxiety, situational stress and mental effort predict phonological processing efficiency, but not effectiveness. Emotion, 16 (5), 634-646. doi: 10.1037/emo0000138

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Edwards, Mark S. and Lyvers, Michael (2016). Individual differences in trait anxiety and goal-commitment predict updating efficiency on the reading span task. Motivation and Emotion, 40 (6), 936-945. doi: 10.1007/s11031-016-9572-8

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Edwards, Mark S. and Lyvers, Michael (2015). Cognitive trait anxiety, situational stress, and mental effort predict shifting efficiency: implications for attentional control theory. Emotion, 15 (3), 350-359. doi: 10.1037/emo0000051

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Stapleton, Peta, Williams, Kelly and Ball, Lauren (2015). Building skills, knowledge and confidence in eating and exercise behavior change: brief motivational interviewing training for healthcare providers. Patient Education and Counseling, 98 (5), 674-676. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2015.02.006

Edwards, Mark S., Moore, Philippa, Champion, James C. and Edwards, Elizabeth J. (2015). Effects of trait anxiety and situational stress on attentional shifting are buffered by working memory capacity. Anxiety, Stress and Coping, 28 (1), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2014.911846

Conference Papers

Edwards, Elizabeth, Wynne, Jeffery, Kermani, Hananeh and Hoorelbeke, Kristof (2023). Cognitive control training for reduction of anxiety and depression in children. 10th World Congress of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, Seoul, Sth Korea, 1-4 June 2023.

Edwards, E. J., Boyne, N. and Hoorelbeke, K. (2019). Preliminary work in cognitive control training for reduction of anxiety and depression in children. British Psychological Society Division of Counselling Psychology Conference, Cardiff, Wales, 28-29 June 2019.

Vaughan, R. S., Hagyard, J. D., Edwards, E. J. and Smith, M. M. (2018). Executive function and athlete expertise: A longitudinal study over a playing season. British Association of Sport and Exercise Science 2018, Harrogate, United Kingdom, 27-28 November 2018.

Taylor, C. and Edwards, E. J. (2018). Individual differences in self-esteem and social anxiety predict nomophobia in adolescents. British Psychological Society Division of Counselling Psychology Conference 2018, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 6-7 July 2018.

Edwards, M. S., Edwards, E. J. and Needham, K. (2017). Decisions under pressure: Relationship between trait anxiety and situation stress on performance of an analogical reasoning task. 34th Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 30 August- 1 September 2017.

Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S. and Lyvers, M. (2017). Effort buffers memory shortfalls in anxious individuals. 34th Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 30 August- 1 September 2017.

Needham, K., Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S. and Lyvers, M. (2017). Trait anxiety and situation stress interact to predict planning efficiency on the Tower of London task. 34th Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 30 August- 1 September 2017.

Edwards, E. and Arora, B. (2016). Should brief motivational interviewing training be included in medical curricula? . 14th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 7-10 December 2016. New York, NY United States: Springer.

Edwards, E. and Arora, B. (2016). Should brief motivational interviewing training be included in medical curricula?. *, *, *. New York, NY, United States: Springer.

Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S. and Lyvers, M. (2015). Cognitive trait anxiety and updating efficiency: Differences in motivation on a reading span task. 33nd Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Kent, United Kingdom, 1-3 September 2015.

Edwards, M. E., Edwards, E J. and Lyvers, M. (2015). Motivation moderates the relationship between situational stress and inhibitory efficiency in the presence of threat. 33nd Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Kent, United Kingdom, 1-3 September 2015.

Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S. and Lyvers, M. (2014). Contributions of trait anxiety, situational stress and mental effort on working memory performance. 49th Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference, Hobart, Australia, 29 September – 3 October 2014.

Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S. and Lyvers, M. (2014). Cognitive trait anxiety, situational stress and mental effort predict shifting efficiency. 31st Annual British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Conference, Nottingham, United Kingdom, 2-5 September 2014.

Edwards, E. J., Edwards, M. S., Lyvers, M. and Samios, C. (2014). Effects of trait anxiety and situational stress on backward word span efficiency are buffered by mental effort. Australasian Experimental Psychology Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 23-26 April 2014.

Scott, E. J. and Edwards, M. S. (2010). Anxiety and working memory. 27th International Congress of Applied Psychology, Melbourne, Australia, 11-16 July 2010.

Department Technical Report

Hardy, Ian, Poed, Shiralee, Gowlett, Christina, Heimans, Stephen, Edwards, Elizabeth, Armour, Danielle, McLay, Kate, Hameed, Suraiya, Beencke, Andrew, Lee, Richard, Rueda, Laura and dos Santos Ocriciano, Michelle (2022). Shaping school success: Commissioned report for the Department of Education and Training, Queensland. School of Education, University of Queensland.

Research Report

Edwards, Elizabeth J., Campbell, Marilyn, Carroll, Annemaree and Pennell, Donna (2021). Best practice guidelines for wellbeing of staff and students after a disruption in Queensland schools. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.