Laura M. König
Head of Health Psychology Group
Wächtergasse 1 / 504 / D08
+43-1-4277-47250
laura.koenig@univie.ac.at
- Psychological mechanisms of health behaviours
- Engagement with (digital) health behaviour interventions
- Digital health divide
- Women’s health
- Health and science communication
- Research participation effects
Positions
Since 2023: Professor of Health Psychology, University of Vienna
2020 - 2023: Junior Professor of Public Health Nutrition, University of Bayreuth
2020: Postdoctoral fellow, University of Cambridge
2018 - 2020: Postdoctoral researcher, University of Konstanz
2018: Visiting researcher, University of Cambridge
2014 - 2018: Predoctoral researcher and PhD student, University of Konstanz
Education
2018: PhD in Psychology (summa cum laude), University of Konstanz
2014: Master of Science, Psychology
2014: Bachelor of Science, Psychology
Awards and honors
2025: “35 under 35” nominee for the Brigitte-Bierlein-Frauenpreis by the Federal Ministry of Economy, Energy and Tourism of the Republic of Austria
2024: Selected participant, International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) Building Future Leaders programme
2024: Selected participant, Cancer Mission Lab of the Open Innovation in Science Center of the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft.
2022: Stan Maes Early Career Award 2022 of the European Health Psychology Society
2018: Stiftung-Schmieder-Preis 2018 of the Stiftung Schmieder für Wissenschaft und Forschung for the dissertation
Third-party funding
2026 – 2030: Research platform “AI-powered personalized nutrition for well-being and disease prevention (AIPN)”. (Principle investigator and co-spokesperson)
2026 – 2030: Research platform “Trustworthy science communication”. (Principle investigator)
2026 – 2029: “A system approach to reform the food information environment to support healthy, sustainable diets: mitigating harmful marketing and
Misinformation (FOOD-FRAMES)”, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) as part of the European initiative FutureFoodS. (Principle investigator)
2024 - 2025: Scoping Workshop “Digital Foodscapes: Past, Present, Future”, funded by the VolkswagenStiftung. (Principle Investigator)
2022 – 2024: Project “Hausarzt-zentriertes Adipositas-Präventionsprogramm: Exercise & Nutrition (HAPpEN)“, funded by the Bavarian Ministry of Health, Prevention and Care. (Co-Investigator)
2022 – 2023: “Relationships between Refugees’ Eating Behavior, their Acute Stress Response and Psychological Well-being” funded by the VolkswagenStiftung (Principle Investigator)
2020 – 2022: Research fellowship “Quantifying reactivity to digital dietary assessment and the moderating influence of active information processing”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Positions in academic societies
since 2025: Appointed member of the Open Science Commission of the German Psychological Society
since 2024: Secretary, European Health Psychology Society
since 2024: Member-at-large, Society for Ambulatory Assessment
since 2022: Member of the steering committee, subdivision Public Health Nutrition, German Nutrition Society (DGE e.V.)
2021 - 2023: Co-chair, subdivision Health Psychology, German Psychological Society
2019 - 2023: Co-chair and social media officer, Special Interest Group “Digital Health & Computer-tailoring”, European Health Psychology Society
2019 - 2021: Secretry and Founding Member, Early Career Scientists, German Nutrition Society (DGE e.V.)
2019 - 2021: Representative of early career researchers, subdivision Health Psychology, German Psychological Society
2018 - 2023: German National Delegate, European Health Psychology Society
2017 - 2019: Chair, subdivision CREATE, European Health Psychology Society
2015 - 2017: Secretary, subdivision CREATE, European Health Psychology Society
Editor positions, memberships in editorial boards, reviewer activities
- Editor-in-chief, In-Mind Germany
- Associate editor, Health Psychology Review
- Associate editor, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being
- Editorial board memberships: Cogent Psychology, European Journal of Health Communication, Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Nutrition Research
Other activities
since 2024: Member of the sustainability advisory board of the University of Vienna, working group canteens and catering
Publications
2026
Wagner, T., Makled, N., Scior, K., König, L. M., Unseld, M., & Zeilinger, E. L. (2026). Exploring Inclusion in Austria’s Breast Cancer Screening:A Dual-Perspective Study of Women with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Caregivers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010124
Volpi, L., & König, L. M. (2026). Symptoms and distress across the menstrual cycle in a representative sample of Austrian and German people who menstruate: a cross-sectional study. Women's Health, 22. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057261462827
Mercer, LC., Al-Masri, M., Rocha, D., König, LM., & Western, M. (2026). A Scoping Review of the Mechanisms Influencing Socioeconomic Disparities in Outcomes of Digital Interventions for Weight-Related Behaviors. Obesity Reviews, 27(8), Article e70121. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.70121
König, L. M., Volpi, L., & Koch, T. (2026). Conjoint analysis of social inequality indicators in diet and physical activity app (non-)users: Representative online surveys in Austria, Germany and Italy. Digital Health, 12, 20552076261429621. https://doi.org/10.1177/20552076261429621
König, LM., Forbes, CC., Busse, H., DeSmet, A., Szinay, D., Wan, J., Guo, Z., & Smit, ES. (2026). Inequalities in Exclusively Mobile Interventions Targeting Weight-Related Behaviors: Systematic Review of Observational Studies. Obesity Reviews, 5, Article e70057. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.70057
Fresán, U., Boronat, A., Buekers, J., de la Torre, R., König, L. M., & Chevance, G. (2026). REFRESH-daily: a short 10-item questionnaire for evaluating behavior change towards healthier and more environmentally sustainable diets. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-026-01901-4
Betz, C., Al Masri, M., König, LM., & Bartelmeß, T. (2026). Identifying Social Media-Based Interactions That Help Adults to Adhere to Weight Loss Goals: A Systematic Review. Obesity Reviews, 27(3), 1-15. Article e70030. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.70030
Bader, A., Hofmann, R., Haderer, M., von Schau, N., & König, L. M. (2026). Implementation of a digital health application for obesity management in rural primary care: a mixed-methods evaluation of user experiences. BMC Digital Health, 4(1), Article 50. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44247-026-00282-9