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UCL Centre for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research

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UCL Centre for Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Research (CIDDR)

Co-Directors: Prof. Angela Hassiotis, Prof. Katrina Scior & Prof. Vaso Totsika

Group photo

Our central aim is to conduct high quality, multi-disciplinary research that benefits the well-being of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (neurodisabilities) and their families and carers. Our research spans the life course and focuses on the following key areas:

  1. Epidemiological research on mental health and behavioural problems in children and adults with intellectual disabilities and other physical and developmental comorbidities, e.g. autism, ADHD
  2. Clinical trials of psychosocial interventions for children, or adults with neurodisabilities, their families and paid carers targeting mental and physical illhealth and prevention, e.g. early intervention
  3. Research on improving quality of life and care standards where people with neurodisabilities live tackling stigma and discrimination, and improving well-being  within a culturally sensitive framework

The CIDDR team comprises clinicians and researchers from psychiatry and clinical psychology at the core. To ensure our perspectives on health and social research remain as broad and relevant as possible we have forged close links with colleagues in the fields of epidemiology, health economics, anthropology, education, social psychology, as well as with voluntary sector organisations such as Mencap and the Challenging Behaviour Foundation.  We are committed to interdisciplinary collaborations within and without the Faculty of Brain Sciences and UCL.

Public Engagement

We work closely with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families and carers as partners in research. We have close links with service user groups who either collaborate or consult with us on our research activity, including the Elfrida Society, Camden SURGe and local groups of People First.

Postgraduate education

We are interested in discussing opportunities for research degrees and are named supervisors for the Wellcome PhD for non-clinicians.  We are also offering a module in neurodisability within the UCL Division of Psychiatry MSc in Mental Health Research.