People
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Hannah Fry
Hannah is one of this year’s placement students here at CRAE. Prior to her placement, she was a research assistant for the Autism in Court Project within the Centre for Applied Autism Research at the University of Bath – this experience sparked her interest in autism research. This year she will assist members of staff on various…
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Louie Plumb
Louie is currently completing his placement year at CRAE as part of his BSc Psychology degree at the University of Bath. Having completed his GCSEs through home education, he developed an interest in the benefits of inclusive and individualised learning. Louie continues to advocate for innovative approaches to education and accessible environments that offer flexible…
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Lucy O’Connor
Role: Student Placement Researcher I am an undergraduate student at the University of Manchester studying psychology. Having an interest in clinical psychology, I hope to gain a greater understanding of autism in my time at CRAE. I have previously assisted with research into Parkinson’s at Manchester with an emphasis on Patient and Public Involvement. I…
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Anna Remington
Professor of Autism Research, and former CRAE Director (2017-2026) Anna joined CRAE in 2013 and was our Director from 2017 through to 2026. She began working in the field of autism research in 2004 after receiving a BA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge. She obtained a Masters in Human Communication Science and…
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Laura Crane
Laura joined CRAE in 2015 and currently holds the role of Professor of Autism Research and Education and Deputy Director of CRAE. Laura’s research focuses on understanding the educational experiences of autistic children and young people (in mainstream and special schools), and identifying evidence-based ways to support pupils, their families and their educators. Laura also…
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Mel Romualdez
Mel is Director of CRAE, Associate Professor, and a Lecturer (Teaching) in Psychology at the IOE. Mel joined CRAE as a doctoral student under the supervision of Anna Remington and Zachary Walker. She completed her PhD focusing on the diagnostic disclosure experiences of autistic adults in workplace settings. Before coming to London, Mel worked for…
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Jade Davies
Jade Davies is research assistant on the Discover Autism Research and Employment (DARE) project, based at CRAE (UCL/IOE).
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Brian Irvine
Brian joined CRAE in the summer of 2022 on the ESRC Superior Perceptual Capacity Project, and now works as our Communications and Engagement Officer. We know that many autistic people hear, see and feel more than the majority might. The Superior Perceptual Capacity Project is hunting for environments where all might thrive. This might be less…
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Freya Elise
Freya Elise is a research assistant at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education, based at UCL’s Institute of Education.
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Audrey Linden
Audrey Linden is a research assistant at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education, based at UCL’s IOE.
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Charlie Hamilton
Communications Assistant Charlie (she/her) is autistic. Charlie has three decades of communication and fundraising experience with organisations across Europe. Most notably, she has worked for the International Herald Tribune – The New York Times, euronews, UEFA, The European Union Youth Orchestra and youth social action charities: Music Masters and Student Hubs. Most recently, she was…
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Norah Richards
PhD Researcher Norah joined CRAE in 2022 as a first year PhD student under the supervision of Laura Crane. Norah has a BSc, PGCE and PGCert Ed, and worked as a primary school teacher with a focus on language learning and literacy difficulties. Norah completed her MSc in Language and Communication Difficulties in Education jointly at…
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Kana Grace
Bio: Kana is an Honorary Research Fellow at CRAE where she completed her PhD. Her doctoral research investigated and characterized loneliness in autistic adults, with particular focus on measurements and lived experiences. You can read her thesis here. Kana is multiply-neurodivergent, and she is keen to co-produce her research with other neurodivergent people. She is…
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Heba Al-Jayoosi
Heba is undertaking her PhD at CRAE, and is exploring ways in which to improve home school collaboration for caregivers of autistic pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds. Her other interests include autistic self advocacy, and how autistic people can be meaningfully included in school decision making. She is also the Assistant Headteacher and Inclusion Leader…
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Maria Ashworth
Maria is a PhD student at CRAE, tracking and evaluating an education to employment programme for autistic young people called Employ Autism, which was set up by the autism charity Ambitious about Autism. Anna Remington (CRAE) and Brett Heasman (York St John University) supervise Maria’s research. Maria’s PhD research is tracking and evaluating an education…
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Jana Brinkert
Jana is a post-doctoral researcher at CRAE. Jana completed her BSc in Psychology at the University of Kent, and her MSc in Psychology of Education at UCL Institute of Education. Jana completed her PhD at CRAE, studying perceptual abilities in autistic people. Jana is interested in strengthening cognitive control in autism. By investigating behavioural performance…
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Sam Dexter
PhD Researcher Sam Dexter is undertaking his PhD at CRAE and is exploring how schools prepare autistic young people for life after the classroom. When not working toward his PhD, Sam is a class teacher at Gesher School in north west London, where he teaches a year 6 class. Research Summary: For his MA thesis,…
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Ginny D’Odorico
PhD Researcher Ginny joined CRAE 2020. She is the Headteacher of The Windmill School, a new specialist school providing the autism specific environment to reduce anxiety and engage individual students’ learning needs. Ginny completed a BSc in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, then a PGCE Primary teaching qualification at the Institute of Education prior…
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Emeline Han
Emeline joined CRAE as a PhD student in September 2020. . Emeline’s PhD research aims to: (1) systematically review the literature on autistic people’s experiences of stigma and coping strategies; (2) develop a stigma-related support programme for autistic adults using a participatory approach; (3) conduct an initial evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of this…
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Alison Livemore
Alison joined CRAE as a part-time PhD student in 2018 under the supervision of Laura Crane. Alison’s research investigates good autism practice in Additional Resource Provisions (ARPs) for autistic pupils. She studies the perspectives of professionals, parents and pupils with regards to educating autistic pupils in ARPs. Alison wants to develop a greater understanding of…
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Clare Truman
PhD reseracher Clare has been teaching for ten years, most recently in a school for autistic children and young people. Clare is founder of Spectrum Space, providing distance learning to autistic children who find it difficult to access school. Clare completed her BA in Education Studies at Cambridge University and her PGCE and Masters in…
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Aaron Giuliano
Role: Research Assistant Bio: Aaron is a research assistant at CRAE working on various participatory research projects. Aaron undertook a placement year at CRAE as part of his Education with Psychology (BA) degree at the University of Bath. Aaron joined CRAE in September 2021 and, as part of his placement year, led a research project investigating the…
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Evelyn Sam
Bio: Evelyn is an undergraduate psychology student from the University of Kent and is currently undertaking her placement year from September 2022 at CRAE. She is assisting members of the CRAE team with ongoing projects and through this experience, and hopes to gain a better insight into the world of autism research in the upcoming year. …
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Estelle Killick
Estelle is an undergraduate student at the University of Kent studying Psychology. She is currently undertaking her placement year at CRAE. In her time studying psychology she has developed her interest in clinical psychology and neurodivergence (specifically autism). She has been particularly interested in female presentations of autism as well as support for autistic women…
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Collaborators
Ali Northcott: Artist in Residence & Honorary Researcher Ali is CRAE’s Artist in Residence, undertaking a research and development project exploring potential links between neurodiversity and creativity, funded by the Arts Council England. As part of her residency, Ali is looking at adults with autistic traits in the Arts, focusing on those involved in body-based…
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Previous CRAE Members
CRAE STAFF:Eloise Ainger – Research AssistantAlyssa Alcorn – Postdoctoral ResearcherJoe Barker – Research AssistantMelissa Bovis – Research Communication and Engagement OfficerJanina Brede – Research OfficerTony Charman – Former DirectorSarah Crockford – Research AssistantJake Fairnie – Postdoctoral Research OfficerAnne Fritz – Research Communication and Engagement OfficerAlexander Hay – Research Communication and Engagement OfficerBrett Heasman – Postdoctoral…