Katrina Muller-Townsend

Dr Katrina Muller-Townsend is a lecturer and researcher in psychology at Edith Cowan University, with a particular focus on cognitive processes in learning and skill acquisition. Her research explores the cognitive mechanisms underpinning how people learn, with an emphasis on automaticity, individual variability, and skill transfer. Originally trained as a professional dancer, her early fascination with the demands of performance has evolved into a research career examining how different people acquire complex skills in diverse ways.

Current and recent research areas include individual differences in learning pathways, cognitive ageing, academic motivation and resilience, and the application of psychological theory to curriculum and assessment design in higher education. She is especially interested in challenging the limitations of group-based research and highlighting the importance of tailoring learning approaches to meet diverse student needs.

Dr Muller-Townsend is actively engaged in curriculum consultancy across the tertiary sector, using psychological principles to enhance the design and delivery of educational programs. She is committed to building learning environments that are evidence-informed, inclusive, and aligned with real-world applications.

Her passion lies in bridging research and teaching to address core educational challenges: What enables deep, lasting learning? How can we design educational experiences that support variation in cognitive styles? And how do we ensure that our approaches benefit not only academic outcomes, but also long-term resilience and learner wellbeing?

Her work aims to inform best practice in higher education and beyond—ensuring that learning environments are not only effective, but also human-centred and adaptable to change.