Meet the research team

Prof. Caroline Richards' research aims to reduce negative clinical outcomes for individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. Her work focuses on self-injury, sleep disorders, and social development in autism, rare genetic syndromes, and children born prematurely, using experimental, epidemiological, single-case, and meta-analytic methods to identify risk markers and develop preventative interventions. She is based at the University of Birmingham and collaborates closely with the Cerebra Network.
 

Dr Hayley Crawford's work focuses on social cognition, behaviour, and clinical outcomes in children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions associated with intellectual disability. She leads the Neurodevelopmental Conditions Research at WMS Lab at the University of Warwick and has secured funding to support research in under-served areas. Her work is internationally recognised through publications, editorial roles, and advisory positions across UK and US research initiatives. 
 

​Dr Rory T. Devine's research focuses on individual differences in children’s social and cognitive development from infancy to adulthood. His work examines variation in theory of mind and executive function, using longitudinal methods and psychometrics to understand implications for social, behavioural, academic adjustment, and well-being. He is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, with research interests that also include the role of children’s home and school social experiences in shaping development.  

​Dr Catherine Laverty is a research fellow whose work focuses on improving clinical outcomes for children within at-risk populations, particularly autistic children with an intellectual disability. She is based in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, working within the Richards Lab, and her current research focuses on self-injury, sleep, and behaviour, alongside interests in neurodevelopmental conditions, rare genetic syndromes, and preterm birth. She contributes to the development of accessible research practices, particularly in studies involving children with intellectual disabilities and under-served populations. 

Dr Rory O’Sullivan's work focuses on sleep and broader clinical outcomes for people with additional needs, particularly those with rare genetic syndromes and intellectual disabilities. He has a particular interest in improving the assessment tools available to people with intellectual disabilities, using psychometrics and large data sets. He is based in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, spending most his time working within the Richards Lab.


 

​Dr Kayla Smith is working on the BRIDGE project, assessing play-based executive function tasks in people with rare genetic syndromes. She is finishing her PhD at the University of Warwick, which explores behavioural, physiological, and cognitive indicators of social anxiety and social motivation in people with fragile X syndrome. Kayla is passionate about conducting research that improves mental health outcomes for people with rare genetic syndromes and their families.
 

​

​

Dr Lauren Shelley is based in the School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham, working within the Richards Lab. Her research interests include sleep, behaviours that challenge and broader clinical outcomes in under-served populations, particularly people with rare genetic syndromes and intellectual disabilities. She currently works on the BRIDGE project, alongside studies profiling sleep in rare genetic syndromes, and co-developing syndrome-sensitive behavioural sleep interventions aimed at improving daytime outcomes and family well-being. She is passionate about conducting research that improves outcomes for people with rare genetic syndromes, intellectual disabilities, and their families.

​Kiran Kaur is working on the BRIDGE Project. She completed her BSc in Psychology at Aston University, and her dissertation investigated the correlation between sleep, anxiety and autism traits in undergraduate students. Through her studies, she also worked as an honorary Research Assistant, as part of her placement year, contributing to various projects such as The Sleep-Impulsivity Behaviour (SIB) study, the i-KNOW feasibility project, and research on self-harm and autism. She then re-joined Richards Lab, holding the position of Research Assistant for the BEOND Project and the iKNOW Under 3's Project.

 

​Beatriz completed her BSc in Psychology at Lancaster University, where she worked as a Research Assistant on projects investigating the effect of value on the prioritisation of information in working memory. Beatriz recently completed an MSc in Developmental Psychology and Psychopathology at King’s College London, and her dissertation used qualitative methods to explore the barriers and facilitators autistic adults experience when developing and practicing self-compassion. She has now joined the Richards Lab as a Research Associate in the BRIDGE project.