Mahdi Mazidi is a Senior Research Officer at The Kids Research Institute Australia and an Adjunct Researcher at the School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia. He completed his PhD at the Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion (CARE) at UWA, where he also worked for three years as a Research Fellow.

Mahdi has published widely on the cognitive mechanisms underlying emotional wellbeing and perinatal mental health. His research draws on a wide range of methodologies, including experimental psychopathology methods using cognitive bias assessment tasks, large-scale surveys, and longitudinal analyses. He has delivered over 30 presentations and invited talks at national and international scientific conferences and leading institutions. Mahdi also maintains an active portfolio of teaching and student supervision, having successfully supervised students at the Honours and PhD levels.

2018 - 2022     Doctor of Philosophy – Psychology, University of  Western Australia

2013 - 2016      M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran

2009 - 2013      B.S. in Clinical Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran

My current research focuses on leveraging national longitudinal datasets to examine how fathers’ mental health and caregiving involvement influence their children’s wellbeing across development.

July 2022 - Oct 2025        Research Fellow, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia

Jan 2019 - Dec 2021          Academic Tutor/Demonstrator, University of Western Australia

April 2015 - March 2017    Assessor Psychologist and Team Coordinator, Arzeshafarin Vista Co. (Human resources evaluation for various industries).

Sep 2014- Sep 2016     Research assistant, Shahid Beheshti University

2023      Raine Medical Research Foundation - Research Collaboration Award - “Assessment and Modification of Biased Expectancies to Predict and Optimize Emotional Wellbeing Across the Perinatal Period.” [$26,047 – Awarded, Chief Principal Investigator] Collaborators: Prof. Michelle Moulds (UNSW); Prof. Jill Newby (Black Dog Institute); Prof. Heather O’Mahen (University of Exeter, UK).

2023        UWA Research Collaboration Award - “Understanding Prenatal Expectancies: Mechanisms and Implications for Perinatal Mental Health” [$19,921 – Awarded; Chief Principal Investigator]

2020      Research Support Scheme Grant. Babol University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Co-principal investigator in a project focused on the cognitive profile of patients with elevated worry and trauma.

2019              The University of Western Australia GRS Travel Award

2018-2022   Australian government international research training program (RTP) fees offset, stipend and UWA safety net top-up scholarships

2015           Iran’s National Elite Foundation Grant for Research in Lieu of Military Service: This grant allows top-achieving students to conduct self-designed research projects instead of the two-year compulsory military service.

2009-2015    Awarded the Iran's National Elite Foundation monthly scholarships during my bachelor and master studies. 

2013-2016    Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education Msc. Scholarship (full tuition waiver)

2009-2013    Iranian Ministry of Sciences Bsc Scholarship (full tuition waiver)

Persian: native

English: Fluent