My research focuses on understanding autistic people’s experiences across the lifespan, combining theoretical and basic science with the applied. I am the director of the social interaction, mental health, and wellbeing lab. Our interests focus on autism, social inclusion, and lifecourse inequalities, and the intersectionality of autism and ageing. We have projects running which focus on primary school, secondary school, university, employment, and social and health care. We address issues relating to lifecourse inequalities, and work across disciplines e.g. engineering, robotics, computing, AI, linguistics, humanities, human resource management, urban design as well as with community partners and individuals. Our work includes conceptualisation and measurement of concepts such as social interaction and connectedness, and what impact social participation has on quality of life, wellbeing, and identity. Research collaborations Employment: Professor Kate Sang, and Dr James Richards, Heriot-Watt University; Ageing: Dr Rebecca Charlton, Goldsmiths University of London, Dr Louise Brown Nicolls, Strathclyde University; Cognition and Social Participation: Dr Cath Grainger, Stirling University, Dr Dan Hale, Dr Laurent Galbrun, Prof Thusha Rajendran Heriot-Watt University; Online Safety Dr Mike Just and Dr Tessa Berg, Heriot-Watt University. Postgraduate students Cameron Maitland, Kym Craig, Lorna Camus, Kirsty Macmillan, David Thorpe, Corinne Greasley-Adams, Carmen Rosas Perez. 

Autism, Autistic traits, Social Participation, Social Inclusion, Social and Health Care, Ageing, Cognition, Mental Health, Wellbeing

Member of Working Group Research and Enterprise Culture and People

SoSS Research Festival Chair

Public Engagement Lead

www.simhw.hw.ac.uk