"Invisible obstacles: understanding barriers for neurodiverse people in academia"
Joint runner-up, Queen Square PhD Competition, 2025
Reported in Queen Square: Living with Epilepsy Newsletter, No. 1, November 2025
Tua Aino Amanda Piehl
Part-time PhD Researcher, UCL Institute of Neurology | ARIA Research Coordinator
I create measurements of neurodiverse experience in academic settings to build more inclusive environments for PhD students, Masters students, and researchers.
Headshot
About
I'm a part-time PhD researcher at UCL's Institute of Neurology, where I'm supervised by Dr Gabriele Lignani. My focus is on breaking down the walls for neurodiverse academics through measurement and understanding, with the goal of building more inclusive policies and practices in higher education.
I have a BSc in Psychology from King's College London, and have worked in the UK Dementia Research Institute as administrative assistant, organising academic conferences. Currently, I work in the Lignani Lab at UCL as a research administrative assistant alongside my PhD studies. Through this work, I became increasingly aware of the structural barriers that neurodiverse researchers face—and equally aware of the remarkable contributions neurodivergent scholars bring to science when given the right support.
I believe academia should work for all minds. In our current systems, neurotypical ways of thinking, communicating, and working, are privileged, creating unnecessary obstacles for autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic researchers. I hope to create the tools institutes need to make meaningful change.
Outside research, I'm committed to bringing neurodiversity-affirming practices into every part of academic life, from teaching to lab management to conference design.
PhD Supervisor: Dr Gabriele Lignani
Research
My PhD research develops empirical measurements of how neurodiverse PhD students, Masters students, and researchers experience academic environments. Utilising participatory research methods and mixed-methods design, I aim to identify which dimensions of academic culture most profoundly affect neurodivergent scholars' wellbeing, productivity and sense of belonging.
This work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, education research, and disability studies. My approach looks at examining how institutional structures, interpersonal relations, and unwritten norms shape the experiences of neurodiverse researchers and students whose cognitive profiles differ from neurotypical patterns. The goal is to produce evidence that can inform real policy interventions — changes to supervision models, assessment practices, lab cultures and support systems.
Key Research Questions
- • How do neurodivergent PhD students and early-career researchers experience key aspects of academic culture, such as supervision relationships, peer collaboration, and institutional expectations?
- • What specific environmental, social, and structural factors most strongly predict wellbeing and research productivity among neurodiverse scholars?
- • Can we develop validated measurement tools that capture the multidimensional nature of inclusion and exclusion in higher education research settings?
- • What policy interventions—at departmental, institutional, and national levels—most effectively support neurodiversity in academic environments?
- • How do neurodiverse researchers themselves conceptualize "support" and "inclusion," and how do these perspectives differ from institutional assumptions?
Methodology
Mixed Methods
Participatory Research
Qualitative Interviews
Survey Design
Psychometric Development
Current Projects
Measuring Academic Inclusion: Development of the Neurodiverse Academic Experience Scale (NAES)
I'm currently developing and validating a psychometric tool to assess neurodiverse scholars' experiences across multiple dimensions of academic life, including supervision quality, peer relationships, sensory environments, and institutional support structures. This project involves qualitative interviews with neurodivergent researchers to identify key experience domains, followed by survey development and validation with a larger sample across UK universities.
Participatory Investigation of Lab Culture and Neurodiversity
In collaboration with colleagues, this project uses participatory methods to explore how neurodivergent researchers experience laboratory environments in the life sciences. Neurodivergent researchers serve as co-researchers, shaping research questions and methodologies. The project aims to produce practical guidance for principal investigators on creating neurodiversity-affirming lab cultures.
Publications & Outputs
As a part-time PhD researcher in my second year, my publication record is currently under development. I'm working on several manuscripts related to neurodiversity measurement and academic inclusion. Check back for updates on forthcoming work, or contact me to discuss work in progress.
Publications will be listed here as they become available.
Presentations & Awards
Teaching & Supervision
Teaching Experience
Teaching experience will be listed here. Please contact me for details of current teaching activities.
Teaching Philosophy
I'm committed to neurodiversity-affirming teaching practices that recognize different learning styles, processing speeds, and modes of engagement. This includes offering flexible assessment formats, providing course materials in multiple formats, building in processing time, and creating collaborative learning environments that value diverse contributions. I believe the best pedagogy for neurodivergent students benefits all learners.
Supervision Availability
I'm not currently taking on primary supervisory roles due to my own part-time PhD status, but I'm available for informal mentoring of students interested in neurodiversity research, participatory methods, or navigating academia as a neurodivergent researcher. Feel free to reach out.
Resources
As part of my commitment to supporting neurodiverse scholars, I maintain a curated list of resources for students, researchers, and institutions working toward greater inclusion in higher education and research environments.
AANE (Autistic Adults & Allies Network)
Support network and resources for autistic adults in professional settings, including academia.
Visit resourceThe Neurodiversity Hub (University of Edinburgh)
Research network focused on neurodiversity in higher education, with practical guidance for institutions.
Visit resourceADHD Foundation: Neurodiversity Charity
UK-based charity providing resources, training, and advocacy for neurodivergent individuals and institutions.
Visit resource"Neurodiversity at Work" (University of Cambridge)
Research and practical resources on creating neurodiverse-inclusive academic and professional environments.
Visit resourceParticipatory Autism Research Collective (PARC)
Network promoting participatory research approaches in autism research, led by autistic researchers.
Visit resourceChapman, R. (2020). "The Reality of Autism"
Philosophical examination of neurodiversity frameworks. Philosophical Psychology.
Visit resourceContact
I welcome inquiries from fellow researchers, students, and professionals interested in neurodiversity in academia, participatory research methods, or inclusive practices in higher education. Please reach out via email or connect with me on the platforms below.
Department of Epilepsy
Institute of Neurology
University College London
Queen Square
London WC1N 3BG
United Kingdom