By Marianne Fuglsang Welling Farsinsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

Professor and psychologist Kate Tchanturia's scientific contributions testify to originality, methodological rigor and international impact that meet the highest standards of academic excellence.

Kate (Ketevan) Tchanturia was born in Georgia in 1960, and holds a PhD in experimental psychology from the Department of Psychology, Georgian Academy of Sciences (1988). She began her career in 1982 as a clinical psychologist at the Tbilisi City Psychiatric Hospital and subsequently at the Institute of Psychiatry in Tbilisi. In 1997, Professor Tchanturia moved to the UK and joined the Eating Disorders Unit at the Department of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (loPPN), King's College London where she is currently Professor of Psychology of Eating Disorders. She also serves as a consultant at the Eating Disorders National Service, London, and she is a visiting professor of clinical psychology at Ilia State University, Tbilisi. Her career reflects a consistent, long-standing integration of clinical practice, academic research, and international collaboration, particularly at the intersection of eating disorders, cognitive processes, and neurodiversity.

Groundbreaking research and meaningful change

Kate Tchanturia's research has been groundbreaking in the integration of neuropsychological approaches, cognitive remedial therapy (CRT), and clinical innovation. Her conceptual and methodological development has contributed decisively to the understanding of ​cognitive rigidity and emotional processing in eating disorders and for the creation of ​evidence-based therapeutic approaches such as CRT and cognitive remediation and emotion skills training (CREST), both of which are now being implemented internationally. Her leadership in the PEACE Pathway (Pathway for Eating Disorders and Autism developed from Clinical Experience) represents a model of autism-informed clinical care that has influenced treatment practice in both the UK and Scandinavia. 

Her academic output is both comprehensive and high quality, and includes more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and monographs widely used in clinical and educational settings. 

The collaboration between Kate Tchanturia and Aalborg University began more than 13 years ago. Kate Tchanturia has been actively involved in a multicenter study on group-based cognitive remedial therapy (CRT) for anorexia nervosa in collaboration with Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, Associate Professor, and colleagues at the Department of Communication and Psychology. In addition, she has contributed to the establishment of ​the Center for Psychological Medicine at Aalborg University and continues her visits for research meetings, seminars and teaching activities.

"Kate Tchanturia's cognitive research has significantly advanced the understanding and treatment of eating disorders. Her revolutionary work on mapping the cognitive functions of patients with eating disorders has had a major impact on the field. She has developed cognitive rehabilitation therapy for eating disorders, which is currently used in hospitals and treatment centres for eating disorders all over the world. As a professor at King's College London, she combines clinical insight with thorough research, creating meaningful change for both patients and professionals," says Gry Kjærsdam Telléus, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Psychology, Aalborg University, and continues:

"The collaboration has strengthened our internal clinical practice, our research and the international network. Her unique expertise and insight continue to be a source of inspiration that benefits both Aalborg University and the wider clinical community. We are proud that Kate Tchanturia is receiving an honorary doctorate at Aalborg University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to research, clinical innovation and academic collaboration."

The award to Professor Kate Tchanturia of an honorary doctor at AAU will take place at the AAU Annual Celebration on 17 April 2026.