Rebecca Dyer

(they/them)

Research

My PhD focuses on the use of sensory rooms with neurodivergent populations. As this is a new field, my research takes an exploratory approach, and we have ensured that it meets the research priorities for neurodivergent people, laid out by Embracing Complexity.

Some of my PhD research specifically focuses on autistic people's use of sensory rooms. To ensure this research meets the needs of the autistic community, we worked with consultants who were part of the community, and followed the autism research priorities laid out by Autistica. We further developed an adaptable, inclusive design to our techniques to increase accessibility of participation.

Teaching

As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, I teach weekly seminars and mark essays for first year BSc Psychology students at Cardiff University. I also attend yearly feedback sessions, providing feedback on seminar content and structure. 

Biography

Current Education

• 2022-2025: PhD Student: Cardiff University's School of Psychology and the Wales Autism Research Centre

Previous Education

• 2020-2022: MSc (Cum Laude) Brain and Cognitive Sciences: Cognitive Neuroscience Track, University of Amsterdam
• 2017-2020: BSc (Hons) Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London

Previous Positions

• 2021-2022: Research Intern investigating multimodal communication with the CoSI Lab, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in conjunction with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour
• 2022-2022: Research Intern investigating pragmatic language in autism, University of Amsterdam

Professional memberships

• INSAR: International Society for Autism Research, Member since 2023

Academic positions

• 2022-Present: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Cardiff University School of Psychology
• 2021-2022: Research Intern investigating multimodal communication with the CoSI Lab, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in conjunction with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour
• 2022-2022: Research Intern investigating pragmatic language in autism with the LiA Lab, University of Amsterdam
• 2021-2021: Teaching Assistant, University of Amsterdam

Speaking engagements

• 2024: Poster Presentation, Sheffield Autism Research Lab Conference
  
• 2024: Speaker, Cardiff University Interdisciplinary Research Event for Disability and Neurodiversity
  
• 2024: Poster Presenter, INSAR 2024 Annual Meeting, Melbourne, Australia
  
• 2024: Poster Presenter, Cardiff University Mental Health for Future Generations Event
  
• 2024: Speaker, Cardiff University Year Two PhD Conference
  
• 2023: Speaker, Wales Autism Research Centre Sensory Guide Launch
  
• 2023: Poster Presenter, Cardiff University Year One Poster Conference

Committees and reviewing

• 2023-Present: Research Skills Workshops Committee Member
• 2021-2022: Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Journal Board Member     
• 2020-2021: Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Journal Member