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.
Beth Jones - 4th 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.
Gloria Yoshkova - 3rd 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.
Morgan Morgan - 2nd 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 - 3rd 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 - 2nd 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.
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Teresa Padden-Evans - Research Assistant
Teresa recently completed her MSc in Psychology (Conversion) at the University of Surrey. She is now overseeing the expert peer review of the scientific content of the FIND Teacher Training Resource. She is also supporting a pilot study evaluating the impact of the FIND Teacher Training Resource on education practitioners' understanding, beliefs, and approaches to supporting students with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability.
Lizzie Sheridan - Placement Student 2024/25
Lizzie is an undergraduate Psychology student studying at the University of Surrey. She is currently undertaking a placement year as a research assistant at the Neurodevelopmental Research Lab (NDevR).
Undergraduate Dissertation Students - 2024/25
Here are the undergraduate psychology students currently working on their dissertation at the NDevR Lab:
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Ellie Chatfield
Grace Pritchard
Kia Spanghel
Rachel Rudolph
Affiliated Members - 2024/25
Staff that continue to work in affiliation with the NDevR Lab:
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​Gillian Anderson - Research Assistant 2023/24
Gabby Blumer - Trainee Clinical Psychologist (Completed)
Lauren Jenner - PhD Student (Completed)
Dr Caitlin Murray - Postdoctoral Researcher
Catherine Lawton - MPhil/PHD Candidate
Previous lab members
Staff:
Bethany Webster - Research Assistant 2019/21
Dr Natalia Bozhilova - Postdoctoral Researcher 2020/22
Dr Laura Wilby - Honorary Research Assistant 2022/23
Shelley Wilson- Research Assistant 2022/23
Lisa Yeh - Research Assistant Summer Intern 2023
Students: