Register now: Free Public Talk on Neurodiversity and Research

April marks Autism Acceptance Month, an important opportunity to move beyond awareness and focus on meaningful inclusion.  

As understanding of neurodiversity grows, so too does recognition of the need for research that better reflects and supports neurodivergent communities. Yet despite increasing attention, neurodivergent people remain under-represented in many areas of mental health research. 

Join us for a special podcast-style panel conversation featuring 3 expert brain and mental health researchers who will explore two complementary perspectives.  

The discussion will consider how neurodivergent participants can be more effectively included within broader mental and brain health research, as well as the importance of designing research projects specifically tailored for neurodivergent communities from the outset. 

Together, we will reflect on the opportunities, challenges and responsibilities involved in building more inclusive research practices. How can we design studies that are accessible, respectful and responsive? What does genuine inclusion look like in practice? 

Speakers: 

• Professor Clare Mackay is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford whose research uses neuroimaging to understand risk for psychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions, alongside leading translational work through the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity and the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (OH BRC). More recently, she has developed a significant academic and advocacy focus on body‑focused repetitive behaviours, including trichotillomania, working to improve understanding, reduce stigma and develop better interventions for this under‑served community. 

• Dr Eri Ichijo is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Oxford University Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging . Her research aims to improve our understanding of pain experience in the autistic population. She is particularly interested in exploring the relationship between the cognitive modulation of pain and individual differences. 

• Dr Alice Quinton is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oxford’s Department of Experimental Psychology. Her research focuses on interventions for anxiety-related mental imagery (or “flashforwards”) with a particular interest in the experiences of neurodivergent young adults. 

Questions will be put to the speakers by event host Andreia Costa, Project Manager for Training & Career Development at OH BRC and Chair of the Neurodiversity & Disability Working Group at University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry. Andreia is an advocate for the neurodivergent community and hosts the Neurodiverse Voices Podcast.  

There are 100 spaces available in the Lecture Theatre, which will be allocated on a first come basis.

Please use this public talk registration form to sign up for a place.

Coffee is available in the common room from 5:30pm and the event will start promptly at 6:00pm.

Any questions email: Sophie.Ray@oxfordhealth.nhs.uk