Meet our EDI Faculty leads
Professor Leslie Gutman, Professor & Vice Dean (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
Lelise is a Professor of Applied Development and Health Psychology and Programme Director of the MSc Behaviour Change, as well as a key member of the Centre for Behaviour Change.
From 2022-2024, Leslie was the Faculty Lead of the BAME Awarding Gap Project, Faculty of Brain Sciences (FBS). During that time, Leslie collaborated with staff and students on new initiatives, such as the BAME in PALS Departmental Society, and led projects to understand the awarding gap in module assessments, which highlighted students’ voices and their strategies for change.
Leslie looks forward to working with colleagues and students in FBS and alongside other EDI Vice Deans across UCL in this role. Leslie believes FBS is strongly committed to EDI, with outstanding initiatives happening across our faculty. Leslie is committed to building upon our previous successes and using evidence-based strategies to enable a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for our staff and students.
Avili Feese, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager
Going forward, Avili will manage EDI initiatives across the faculty for both staff and students, ensuring equity through inclusion and positive culture change. Avili have progressed gender equality work in the faculty since 2019, achieving a Silver Athena Swan at the Institute of Ophthalmology in 2021.
Avili acknowledging there is more work to do, she will work with colleagues both in Brain Sciences, and beyond in wider UCL, to review, develop and share best practice.
Beverley Isibor, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator
Beverley Isibor supports Psychology and Language Sciences, Ear Institute, and Institute of Prion Diseases in progressing their EDI and Athena SWAN action plans. Beverley also supports cross-Faculty EDI initiatives that embed and widen the EDI agenda with the aim of contributing toward progressive change.
Dr Elise Crayton, Disability Equity Lead
Dr. Elise Crayton, is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Behaviour Change, who also holds the position of Faculty Disability Equity Lead.
Elise's primary focus in her role as the Faculty Disability Equity Lead is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the perspectives of both staff and students regarding the factors that hinder or enable disability equity. Additionally, she endeavors to create and implement inclusive recommendations for positive change. Elise is dedicated to building upon the progress made by her predecessors and is available to offer her assistance in any matters related to disability equity.
Professor Sam Gilbert, Gender Equity Lead
Sam Gilbert is a Professor at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience within the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences. With over 20 years of experience at UCL, Sam is currently researching the link between human memory and technology. Additionally, since 2016, Sam has been an active member of the Career Development, Equality, and Diversity committee in their division. Although progress has been made towards gender equity at UCL, Sam acknowledges it's evident that there is still much work to be done.
Sam is excited to work across the diverse institutes and departments in the Faculty to help co-ordinate actions, share best practice, and develop new initiatives.
Professor Carolyn McGettigan, LGBTQ+ Equity Lead
Professor Carolyn McGettigan is Chair in Speech and Hearing Sciences at UCL, based in the Division of Psychology and Language Sciences. She is a cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist with expertise in the perception and production of the human voice.
Before joining UCL in 2018, Professor McGettigan was involved in the LGBT staff network at their previous institution. They are excited that this is a brand new role within the Faculty, and hopes that the work of the EDI team will improve everyone’s experience of working and studying in the Faculty.
Alex Addo, Race Equity Lead
Alex works at QSION as its Education Manager. He has been a member of UCL for almost 16 years working across different departments. Alex is looking forward to working with colleagues within and outside FBS on building on new and previous initiatives which foster an inclusive and encouraging environment allowing staff and students from ethnic minorities to prosper.
Anouchka Sterling, Religion and Belief Equity Lead
Anouchka Sterling is the Institute Manager at the Division of Psychiatry.
As Religion and Belief Equity Lead for the Faculty, she aims to discover, share and celebrate the diversity of religion and beliefs within our Faculty, to collaborate with EDI colleagues and others to serve UCL in this role and to shape an inclusive environment that contributes to the recruitment, wellbeing and progression of a diverse body of staff and students.
Faculty EDI contacts
- General EDI enquiries: fbs.edi@ucl.ac.uk
- Professor Leslie Gutman, Vice Dean (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences: l.gutman@ucl.ac.uk
- Avili Feese, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager: a.feese@ucl.ac.uk
- Beverley Isibor, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator: b.isibor@ucl.ac.uk
- Dr Elise Crayton, Disability Equity Lead: e.crayton@ucl.ac.uk
- Professor Sam Gilbert, Gender Equity Lead: a.fotopoulou@ucl.ac.uk
- Professor Carolyn McGettigan, LGBTQ+ Equity Lead: m.foster@ucl.ac.uk
- Alex Addo, Race Equity Lead: a.addo@ucl.ac.uk
- Anouchka Sterling, Religion and Belief Equity Lead: a.sterling@ucl.ac.uk
Departmental EDI leads
- Queen Square Institute of Neurology: Professor Helene Plun-Favreau (h.plun-favreau@ucl.ac.uk)
- Institute of Ophthalmology: Professor Tim Levine (tim.levine@ucl.ac.uk)
- Division of Psychiatry: Dr Gemma Lewis (gemma.lewis@ucl.ac.uk)
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences: Professor Sophie Scott (sophie.scott@ucl.ac.uk)
- Ear Institute: Professor Jennifer Bizley (j.bizley@ucl.ac.uk)
- Institute of Prion Diseases: Amali De Silva (amalidesilva@prion.ucl.ac.uk)