Kieren Lilly

Dr Kieren Lilly is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR), University of Queensland. Kieren’s research examines experiences of inequality and discrimination, with a particular focus on the relationships between social identity, relative deprivation, political ideology, and collective action. For instance, his doctoral research explored the causes, consequences, and trajectories of relative deprivation among the general public, while his more recent work examines the factors shaping support for right-wing reactionary movements, typologies of authoritarianism, and perceptions of reverse discrimination among advantaged groups.

Kieren is also deeply committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ research and equity. He leads and collaborates on projects investigating (a) the relationships between identity, health, and well-being among LGBTQIA+ populations and (b) attitudes towards LGBTQIA+ people and social policy. Kieren’s research aims to challenge dominant, binary views of sexuality and gender, including via studies of sexual fluidity and transnormativity. In 2025, Kieren was awarded the UQ Ally Award in recognition of his commitment to promoting inclusion and community for transgender and gender-diverse staff and students.

At ISSR, Kieren works as part of the URBANiQ: Urban Intelligence for Healthy & Equitable Places @ The University of Queensland team, contributing to high-impact research related to urban liveability and community well-being. He also works on several commissioned projects monitoring and evaluating public programs related to substance use, criminal justice, and primary care. Kieren specialises in advanced quantitative research methods, including longitudinal, multilevel, person-centred, and quasi-experimental approaches, and has expertise in managing large-scale panel and administrative data sets.