Dr Jiedi Lei is a Paul Foundation Clinical Research Fellow and clinical psychologist whose research is focused on autism and child and adolescent mental health in the Oxford Health BRC Mental Health in Development Theme.
Dr Lei was one of seven mid-career researchers appointed as NIHR Oxford Senior Research fellows and identified as having the potential to become a future translational research leader.
Learn more about Dr Lei’s career in research:
How has your education pathway led you into your current role?
I knew I wanted to pursue psychology and understand individual differences since picking up my first Oliver Sacks book in Year 9 at school. I have always enjoyed understanding how different people perceive the world through their unique lens and perspectives. I became interested in working with autistic children and young people since my undergraduate studies, as I want to understand how neurodivergent young people perceive the world around them, and to increase acceptance of individual differences and scaffold a more supportive environment to help them thrive. My autism research and clinical psychology training have allowed me to focus on supporting autistic young people and their families. My current clinical research fellowship focuses on understanding strengths in autistic young people to enable them to develop a more positive identity and thrive.
When did you start your fellowship?
I started my fellowship in November 2023, after graduating from my Clinical Psychology Doctorate from King’s College London in October 2023.
When did you become interested in research?
I have always enjoyed the process of developing a systematic way of answering questions and to consider different ways of solving a problem from many angles. I became interested in research through my undergraduate and master’s studies, where I learnt a wide range of research methodology that allowed me to understand the reciprocal nature of translating from theory to practice and vice versa. I continue to adopt mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) in my work, to capture both the breadth and depth of individual differences where possible.
What are you working on at the moment?
In my fellowship, I am currently evaluating the feasibility of using questionnaires to assess Character Strengths in autistic children and young people, through interviewing autistic young people, their parents/carers, teachers and clinicians who support them in daily life. I am interested in helping autistic young people to better identify and apply their character strengths in daily life, and for those supporting them to adopt a strength-based approach and scaffold opportunities in the young person’s environment to help them thrive. I also provide autism related training and support to clinical staff at the AnDY research clinic, and I’m working with my colleague Dr. Eleanor Leigh on adapting social anxiety intervention for autistic young people.
What would you say to others about a career in research?
Try to get a range of different experiences to help you learn about a range of different research methodology! I think it is so helpful to have many “tools” in your research toolbox to draw on when developing your own research questions and thinking about different ways of answering those questions through gathering different types of evidence!
What are you plans for the future?
I hope to continue working as clinical research academic, combining my passion for clinical work, translational research, and teaching in my everyday life! I hope to also continue working with autistic children, young people, and their families, to help them thrive in an authentic way that leads to better quality of life.
