New Year’s resolutions fail for predictable reasons. That doesn’t make them pointless
Why resolutions can still work, if you treat them as experiments rather than tests of character.
Read the full piece →Writer and scientist
Building a framework to explain how biological, cultural, and social systems shape beliefs and behaviour.
About
I'm Dr Tara-Lyn Camilleri, a writer working at the intersection of biology, psychology, and the social sciences. I hold a PhD in evolutionary biology from Monash University, with earlier training in psychology and biological anthropology, with ongoing research affiliations at the University of Oxford and Monash University.
My work examines how human beliefs and behaviours are shaped less by individual choice and more by interacting biological, historical, and social constraints.
I am developing an integrated framework for understanding belief and behaviour that bridges science and the humanities, with implications for how we view ourselves and design society.
Writing
Many of us live our lives as if they are primarily shaped by personal choices, believing that with sufficient grit and determination, we can overcome any adversity. Yet, as one delves into the intricacies of biology, psychology, and society, a more complex reality emerges: we are all, to a considerable extent, products of systems that long predate our existence. Cultural forces, trauma, genetics, environment—these elements intertwine to shape our identities, beliefs, and opportunities.
Latest piece:Selected publications
Ebenezer Scrooge and the dynamics of moral transformation: The ethics of Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'
View publicationTrauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story
View publicationAfter mass violence, trauma spreads socially. Here are 3 ways you can help reduce it
View publicationThe easy appeal of 'zombie science': Why discredited racial ideas still gain traction in Australia — and what to do about it
View publicationFull academic publication list available on Google Scholar.
Advocacy
Chronic illness
As someone living with chronic illness, I advocate for greater understanding and workplace accommodations for those with chronic illness and disability. I've recently partnered with Bridges and Pathways Australia, an organisation dedicated to improving research and services for Australians affected by ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, and related nervous system dysfunction disorders.
Learn more about my personal experience working with chronic illness on my blog .
Learn more about Bridges and Pathways Australia .
Women pursuing education
Since winning a special award in 2018, I have been actively involved with the Graduate Women Victoria (GWV) committee. Since 1920, GWV has supported the careers of Victorian postgraduate and undergraduate students through annual scholarships and bursaries.
It's a fantastic community of committee members, GWV members, scholarship assessors, and donors, all working together to help women and non-binary people experiencing disadvantage pursue higher education.
For more information, to join GWV, or to apply for a scholarship, visit Graduate Women Victoria .
Contact
For collaborations, writing, or speaking engagements: