Meet the team

We are a neurodiverse team of researchers at University College London (UCL) aiming to improve the wellbeing of autistic people.



Professor Will Mandy - Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions/Clinical Psychologist

Will is a clinical psychologist and professor whose research is aimed at helping autistic people live more enjoyable and fulfilling lives. His work aims to improve the recognition of autism and to develop new interventions to support autistic people. He is especially interested in improving recognition of autism among those who often go unnoticed by clinical and educational services, such as women and girls. With colleagues at Great Ormond Street Hospital, he has developed interventions to support autistic children to transition from primary to secondary school and to teach children about their autism diagnosis in a way that supports their sense of self-worth and pride. 



Professor Eirini Flouri - Professor of Developmental Psychology

Eirini is a professor who is interested in understanding children and young people's wellbeing. Her research focuses on the causes of mental health and behavioural issues in childhood and ways to support resilience. Her research is broad ranging, exploring the role of biological factors, family factors, the neighbourhood environment and the school environment in the development of mental health issues. She has expertise in longitudinal statistical methods and is particularly involved in Phase 2 of the M-WAY study.



Dr Emily Midouhas - Associate Professor

Emily is an associate professor whose research aims to understand why some children and young people develop behavioural and mental health issues and others do not. Her research particularly focuses on the role of environmental factors such as parenting and the neighbourhood environment. She also has a strong interest in understanding how mental health issues develop for neurodivergent children and young people. She has expertise in longitudinal statistical methods and is particualrly involved in Phase 2 of the M-WAY study.



Dr Kate Cooper - Associate Professor/Clinical Psychologist

Kate is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor. Her research aims to improve the wellbeing of autistic people, particularly adolescents and young adults. She is interested in findings ways to support autistic people with their mental health. She is also interested in how autistic people who identify as gender diverse can be best supported in healthcare and other settings. As a Clinical Psychologist, she has experience working with autistic young people and adults in mental health services. Kate has expertise in qualitative research methods and is overseeing the qualitative interview phase of the M-WAY study.



Dr Sarah Hampton - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Sarah is a postdoctoral researcher who is working on the qualitative interview phase of the M-WAY study. Sarah primarily uses qualitative methods to try and understand autistic people's experiences and how to improve their wellbeing. Sarah is autistic herself and aims to conduct research that can have a meaningful impact on autistic people’s lives. Previously, she has researched autistic people's experiences of pregnancy and parenthood, including how autistic parents can best be supported with their mental health.



Erin Dawe Lane - PhD researcher

Erin is currently studying on the Wellcome Trust – UCL Mental Health Science PhD programme. Her PhD project (supervised by Will Mandy and Eirini Flouri) will focus on improving our understanding of self-harm in autistic young people. She is particularly interested in the experiences of autistic young people who self-harm and the risk and protective factors associated with self-harm in autistic young people. Erin completed her BSc in Neuroscience and MSc in Psychology (conversion) at the University of Nottingham. Following this, she worked as a research assistant for several years at the University of Nottingham and Kings College London. Beyond research, Erin enjoys music (playing piano and guitar), film, cooking, journaling, and getting out into nature with her two cocker spaniels.



Dr Reesha Zahir - Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Reesha is a postdoctoral research fellow working on the quantitative phase of the M-WAY study. She is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying mental health difficulties and their developmental trajectories in autistic individuals. She has previously investigated the overlap and interaction between mental ill health and sleep problems in autistic children and adolescents. Her primary expertise lies in applying longitudinal statistical techniques to conduct secondary analysis of large-scale cohort datasets. She also has experience in collecting and analysing ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data on sleep and mood. Reesha is committed to a participatory approach, and strives to ensure that her work is grounded in the lived experiences of autistic people.

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