Bronwyn is an ARC researcher with two active Discovery Projects. Her research focuses on the biological processes underlying the development and treatment of anxiety disorders, with the aim of developing ways of augmenting the effectiveness of current treatments by combining them with novel adjuncts that target these processes. She is particularly interested in the impact of female sex hormones like estrogen, given that women are twice as likely to develop anxiety disorders compared to men. Bronwyn and colleagues have recently completed a clinical trial of exposure therapy for spider phobia which showed that women respond much better to treatment, and show much greater sustained recovery from symptoms, when it is delivered during periods of heightened estrogen (e.g., ovulation). These findings could fundamentally transform the way that anxiety treatments are delivered to women, by routinely taking factors that affect hormonal status (like hormonal contraceptive use, menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause) into account.