People
Dr Jo Moss - Principal Investigator
Dr Jo Moss is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Surrey. Her research is concerned with understanding the prevalence, profile and social-cognitive mechanisms associated with the development of autism and related characteristics in individuals with genetic syndromes.
Dr Katherine Ellis - Postdoctoral Researcher
Katherine oversees the day to day running of our Baily Thomas funded project, characterising social behaviours and socio-cognitive profiles in autistic children and children with Fragile X syndrome and Cornelia de Lange syndrome. She carried out her PhD at the Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Birmingham researching the development of social cognition and its influence on unique and contrasting socio-behavioural phenotypes across genetically defined disorders.
Dr Caitlin Murray - Postdoctoral Researcher
Caitlin is a postdoctoral Research Fellow in the NDevR Lab, working on several projects as part of the broader Cerebra Network research, which aims to improve clinical outcomes in children with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability. She conducted her PhD at the University of Warwick, researching the mental health and well-being of children and young people with learning disabilities and their families.
Lauren Jenner - PhD Student (Completed)
Lauren is a PhD student at the University of Surrey, using eye-tracking to investigate the profile of social-cognitive skills in Fragile X, Cornelia de Lange, Prader Willi and Down syndromes. Her research aims to advance understanding of the development of autism characteristics in these populations, and also to promote the use of accessible research methods for those with an intellectual disability. Her project forms part of a larger Network of research, funded by Cerebra, to improve clinical outcomes in children with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability.
Beth Jones - 3rd Year PhD Student
Beth is a PhD student in the Neurodevelopmental Research Research Lab at the University of Surrey. Her research aims to explore anxiety and anxious behaviours in young people and adults with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) and how this might be linked to other characteristics of the syndrome. The goal of this research will be to help guide better understanding of anxiety in CdLS and the association with autistic characteristics and help drive more appropriate assessments of anxiety.
Gabby Blumer - 3rd Year Trainee Clinical Psychologist
Gabby is a trainee clinical psychologist at the University of Surrey, completing her thesis within the Neurodevelopmental Research Lab. Gabby graduated from her BSc Psychology at the University of Birmingham in 2017. She spent a couple of years teaching early years and delivering play-based therapies in Australia. She then moved to London in 2019 and has worked in the NHS with infants and children with a range of neurological presentations and neurodevelopmental conditions. Her research is focused on investigating the cognitive, behavioural and emotional profiles of children with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS) in collaboration with Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Gloria Yoshkova - 2nd Year PhD Student
Gloria is a PhD student at the University of Surrey. Her research focuses on early motor development in children with Williams Syndrome (WS) and how motor deficits impact cognitive development. This research aims to determine the windows of motor milestone achievement for WS; to develop an App for parents and practitioners to monitor the motor development of children with WS; to better understand the motor impairments in WS; and to determine the impact of motor deficits on cognitive, social and language development. The findings of this research will have direct implications for families of children with WS
and could also inform monitoring and interventions in other neurodevelopmental conditions presenting with motor deficits (e.g., Developmental Coordination Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome and others). Gloria's main supervisor is Professor Emily Farran and her co-supervisor is Dr Jo Moss.
Gillian Hughes - Research Assistant 2023/24
Gillian received her MSc in psychology from University College London and is now working as a Research Assistant at University of Surrey. In this role, she is exploring the genetic and social cognitive mechanisms underlying autistic traits and mental health difficulties in women with the fragile X premutation (FxP). The study will raise awareness of the lived experiences of women with the fragile X premutation, including the challenges they might face, and ultimately aims to contribute to the improvement of clinical support for women with the FxP.
Morgan Morgan - 1st Year PhD Student
Morgan is a PhD student at the University of Surrey using genetic methods to understand autism and autistic traits. His research aims are to investigate the relationship between inherited social and sensory sensitivity traits in infancy and autism and how these predict different outcomes for autistic individuals. Morgan's main supervisor is Professor Angelica Ronald and his co-supervisor is Dr Jo Moss.
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Christina-Danai Griva - 2nd Year Trainee Clinical Psychologist
Christina-Danai is a second year PsychD student and trainee clinical psychologist at the University of Surrey. Her main area of research is paediatric neuropsychology. Christina-Danai's research project focuses on the prevalence and profile of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in genetic syndromes. As part of her research, she is conducting an empirical project and a systematic review. For her empirical project, she is liaising with Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) to investigate the ADHD prevalence and profile in children and young people with Sturge-Weber Syndrome. For her systematic review, she is conducting a review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of ADHD in common genetic syndromes which have been associated with high risk of ADHD in the past.
Farah Amaioua - 1st Year Trainee Clinical Psychologist
Farah is a PsychD student and trainee clinical psychologist currently in her first year of training at the University of Surrey. Her particular areas of interest are in neurodevelopmental disorders in children and young people. Farah is keen to conduct qualitative methods of research to hear the perspectives of parents and carers who have a child with a primary diagnosis of a genetic disorder followed by a second diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. She hopes to also look at quantitative data within families who undergo assessments of autism to understand more about the process of the diagnostic journey.
Sophie Ndiaye - Placement Student 2023/24
​Sophie is an undergraduate Psychology student at the University of Sussex. She is currently undertaking a placement year at the Neurodevelopmental Research Lab as well as at the National Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Clinic with Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.
Freya Ferguson - Placement Student 2023/24
Freya is an undergraduate Psychology student studying at the University of Cardiff. She is currently undertaking a placement year at the Neurodevelopmental Research Lab (NDevR).
Undergraduate Dissertation Students - 2023/24
Here are the undergraduate psychology students currently working on their dissertation at the NDevR Lab:
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Sharmaine Moles
Lily Stamp
Hannah McAuley
Mariyah Abualnaja
Previous lab members
Staff:
Dr Natalia Bozhilova - Postdoctoral Researcher 2020/22
Bethany Webster - Research Assistant 2019/21
Dr Laura Wilby - Honorary Research Assistant 2022/23
Lisa Yeh - Research Assistant Summer Intern 2023
Shelley Wilson- Research Assistant 2022/23
Students: