UK Autism Research

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We believe that its vital to centre the voices of autistic folks in scientific research.

At UK Autism Research, we are grateful to the members of our Advisory board who oversee and advise us on the research we are conducting and we are excited to see this collaboration between researchers and autistic folks to continue to grow. 

David Crisp (he/him)

Autistic, NAS- Trained International Speaker, Trainer, Autism Needs Assessor, Writer, Mental Health Advocate, UK


David is an autistic adult with 13 years’ experience of working in health and social care; and a lifetime of caring for family members. He is married with two adult children, both of whom have autistic spectrum disorders.

He is an international speaker, trainer, advocate and published writer (with articles in Social Care Today, Autism Eye, and others). He is also an approved trainer with Neurodiversity Training International and co-deliverer of The Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training to health and social care processionals with the National Autistic Society, UK. He is currently spearheading a campaign on behalf of parents of autistic children who have been subjected to institutionalised parent carer blame, when seeking support from local authorities. 

For information about this campaign , please see Linkedin profile:(1) David Crisp | LinkedIn

To learn more about his work and to get in touch with him, please visit his website (https://wired4autism.co.uk/) or email him at davidcrisp431@btinternet.com.



Annabel Baldwin (she/her)

Student at SOAS University of London and King's College London, UK


Annabel is a young autistic student at SOAS and KCL in London, UK. She is interested in natural hazards, global languages and cultures, geopolitics, and neurodiverse advocacy. 

She aims to improve understanding and acceptance around autism in order to help the next generation of autistic children to be able to live happy and fulfilling lives. Currently, she intends to do this by speaking openly and collaborating with researchers to ensure future research is in the best interests of autistic people. 










Julia Kawa (they/them)

Department of Psychology, City, University of London, UK


Julia is an autistic student working on a Psychology and Criminology BSc. They are passionate about neuroscience, sociology and generally learning more about the world. They are interested in learning more about the diverse experiences of autism as well as advancing the understanding and acceptance of neurodivergence within society.

Professor Dermot Bowler (he/him)

Professor of Psychology, City University of  London, UK


Dermot Bowler is a Professor of Psychology in the Autism Research Group at City, University of London. He first started working with autistic people in 1986 when he was a post-doctoral with Dr Lorna Wing at the MRC Social Psychiatry Unit.  Since then, he has developed an active research programme into the cognitive underpinnings of autism and has made several discoveries that can help autistic people lead better and more fulfilling lives. He and his team have identified a particular pattern of memory processing that helps educators better structure their provision for autistic children and adults.  He is currently working on evaluating an evidence-based,  parent-led intervention for autist children. He is also involved in work investigating how cognitive and mental health difficulties affect autistic adults as they move into old age. Learn more about his work here.