Michelle is a lecturer at the Brain and Psychological Sciences Centre at Swinburne University of Technology. She is a registered clinical psychologist and has worked in both the public and private mental health sectors.

Michelle's research interests include examining cognitive biases in psychopathology, subclinical psychotic symptoms, decision-making processes and emotional regulation processes.

The primary focus of her research involves developing an intervention aimed at reducing loneliness in people with and without mental health difficulties. Specifically, she is interested in how subjective loneliness can negatively impact social functioning and exacerbate mental health symptoms (e.g., social anxiety, depression and paranoia). As part of this research, she is developing smartphone applications in order to deliver brief interventions.

Michelle utilises a variety of assessment techniques in her studies, including ecological momentary assessment and cognitive assessment tools. She is engaged in international research collaborations with colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington University in St Louis.