About
Research
Email: kyriaki.myrissa@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 2322
Biography
Kyriaki Myrissa is an associate professor in Nutrition and Health and Exercise Science. She obtained a BSc in Psychology (2009) from the University of Leeds where she began her research career with a Masters by Research (2011) which was funded by Kellogg’s. She then continued with completing her PhD (2016) entitled “Putting the person back into weight loss and weight loss maintenance: the role of affect, cognition, behaviour and motivation”, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). She joined St Mary’s University in September 2017 as a lecturer and has been teaching across both BSc and MSc programmes. Her main teaching focuses on research methods, public health, health psychology and chronic disease management.
Research
Research profile
Kyriaki’s research spans public health, chronic disease management, psychology, and nutrition. She has extensive experience in developing and evaluating lifestyle interventions using advanced quantitative methods to enhance both physiological and psychological well-being across diverse populations. Her research interests include eating disorders, mental health, behaviour change, weight management, and chronic disease management. She is particularly focused on the design, implementation, and evaluation of complex interventions aimed at improving health outcomes in adults and children.
Areas of research supervision
- Mental health promotion and intervention strategies in diverse populations
- Advanced quantitative and qualitative research methodologies
- Dietary and lifestyle interventions for managing health conditions across different populations
- Understanding and addressing orthorexia in varied contexts and populations
- Enhancing health outcomes for individuals with ADHD, ASD and other neurodevelopmental conditions
PhD students
If you are interested in doing a PhD with Kyriaki, please contact her directly at Kyriaki.myrissa@stmarys.ac.uk
Research publications:
- Lawrence, K., Fibert, P., Toribio-Mateas, M., Gregory, A., Hobbs, J., Quadt, F., Wright, S., Cotter, P., Patel, S., & Myrissa, K. (2025). Effects of Kefir on Symptoms, Sleep, and Gut Microbiota in Children with ADHD: A Randomised Controlled Trial. BMC Psychiatry. (Accepted/In press).
- Olaoye I, Myrissa K, Tsofliou F, Kelaiditi E, Brown N. (2025). Factors Shaping Dietary Choices of Black African Immigrant Women with Overweight and Obesity from West Africa Living in the UK. Behavioral Medicine. 1-14.
- Olaoye, I., Myrissa, K., Kelaiditi, E., Tsofliou, F., & Brown, N. (2025). Effectiveness of client-centred counselling on weight management among Black African women with overweight and obesity in high-income countries: a systematic review. Psychology & Health, 1-32.
- Myrissa, K., Court, C. & Kelaiditi, E. (2024). Cross-sectional study examining the association between diet quality and the prevalence of anxiety and depression in UK undergraduate students. Nutrition Bulletin,00, 1–13.
- Myrissa, K., Jackson, L., & Kelaiditi, E. (2023). Orthorexia Nervosa: Examining the reliability and validity of two self-report measures and the predictors of orthorexic symptoms in elite and recreational athletes. Performance Enhancement & Health, 11(4), 100265.
- Lawrence, K., Fibert, P., Hobbs, J., Myrissa, K., Toribio-Mateas, M., Quadt, F., Cotter, P.D. & Gregory, A.M. (2023). A randomised controlled trial of the effects of kefir on behaviour, sleep and the microbiome in children with ADHD: study protocol. BMJ Open. 13(12), e071063.
- Olaoye, I., Ekong, A., Samuel, A., Kelaiditi, E., Myrissa, K., Jacdonmi, T., & Gboyega, F. (2023). Public beliefs and willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccines among adults in South-Western Nigeria: A cross-sectional study. AIMS Public Health, 10(1), 1.
- Olaoye, I., Akinola, F., Myrissa, K., Kelaiditi, E., Ekong, A., Jacdonmi, T., ... & Fagbemi, S. (2023). Health workers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices on reporting adverse events following immunization (AEFI) in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Health Research, 37(4), 5.
- Lawrence, K., Myrissa, K., Toribio-Mateas, M., Minini, L., & Gregory, A. M. (2022). Trialling a microbiome-targeted dietary intervention in children with ADHD—the rationale and a non-randomised feasibility study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 8(1), 1-15.
- Pedlar, C. R., Myrissa, K., Barry, M., Khwaja, I. G., Simpkin, A. J., Newell, J., ... & Baggish, A. L. (2021). Medical encounters at community-based physical activity events (parkrun) in the UK. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(24), 1420-1426.
- Stevens, R., Kelaiditi, E., & Myrissa, K. (2021). Exploration of the dietary habits, lifestyle patterns and barriers to healthy eating in UK post‐partum women. Nutrition Bulletin, 46,26-39.
- Myrissa, K., Chappell, P., & Kelaiditi, E. (2021). Effect of Acute Acai (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Supplementation on Postprandial Glycaemia in Healthy Adults: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Study. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(Supplement_2), 853.
- Myrissa, K., Jackson, L., & Kelaiditi, E. (2021). Orthorexia Nervosa: Examining Two Self-Report Measures and the Predictors of Orthorexic Symptoms in Elite and Recreational Athletes. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(Supplement_2), 1295.
- James, B. L., Loken, E., Roe, L. S., Myrissa, K., Lawton, C. L., Dye, L., & Rolls, B. J. (2018). Validation of the Diet Satisfaction Questionnaire: a new measure of satisfaction with diets for weight management. Obesity Science & Practice.1-9.
- Boyle, N. B., Lawton, C., Arkbåge, K., West, S. G., Thorell, L., Hofman, D., Weeks, A., Myrissa, K., Croden, F., & Dye, L. (2016). Stress responses to repeated exposure to a combined physical and social evaluative laboratory stressor in young healthy males. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 63, 119-127.
- Lamport, D., Lawton, C.L., Merat, N., Jamson, H., Myrissa, K., Hofman, D., Chadwick, H.K., Quadt, F., Wightman, J.D. and Dye, L. (2016). Concord grape juice, cognitive function, and driving performance: a 12-wk, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover trial in mothers of preteen children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 103 (5), 1-9.
- Yahya, H. M., Day, A., Lawton, C., Myrissa, K., Croden, F., Dye, L. and Williamson, G. (2016). Dietary intake of 20 polyphenol subclasses in a cohort of UK women. European Journal of Nutrition, 55 (5), 1839–1847.
- Lasikiewicz, N., Myrissa, K., Hoyland, A. and Lawton, C. L. (2013). Psychological Benefits of Weight Loss: A Systematic Review. Appetite, 72, 123–
- Lawton, C.L., Struthers, L., Hoyland, A., Myrissa, K. and Dye, L. (2011). Effects of increasing dietary fibre on psychological wellbeing. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 58 (suppl 3): 266.