Professor Natalia Lawrence

Natalia Lawrence is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Exeter, specializing in behaviour change for healthier and more sustainable diets. Her research focuses on how self-control, emotion and habits influence eating behaviour, aiming to develop effective interventions for dietary change. Prof. Lawrence is internationally recognized for her work on response inhibition training, which helps individuals adopt and maintain healthier, more sustainable plant-based diets.

Her innovative Food Trainer app, which has been featured on Channel 4’s How to Lose Weight Well, has reached over 100,000 users worldwide and is available for free download from app stores and the food trainer website.

Driven by a commitment to sustainability, Prof. Lawrence serves as the academic lead for Grand Challenges (Future Food) and as a Climate Advocate for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. She sits on the University of Exeter’s Climate Advocate Taskforce and the Health and Life Sciences and Psychology Sustainability Committees.

Previously, Prof. Lawrence served as a Director of Research and Impact, helping to advance the Psychology department's research strategy and supporting colleagues in research. An advocate for open and engaged research, she has organized numerous public engagement events and collaborates regularly with policymakers and media outlets. Notably, she has co-developed an innovative approach to embedding open science in final-year psychology research projects, in collaboration with partners across the GW4 alliance.