Matthew Phillips is a second year Trainee Clinical Psychologist at Royal Holloway. Prior to starting clinical training, I worked within eating disorder research and practice for several years. The paper for the special edition, looking at the outcomes of DBT for those with an autism spectrum condition was begun during my MSc in collaboration with Dr Jake Camp, Dr Rhian Parham, and Dr Katrina Hunt at the National and Specialist CAMHS, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Service. I have an interest in research that seeks to expand diagnosis-specific conceptualisations of mental ill health and treatment, which is what drew me towards the project in the first place.

Matthew joined the Eating Disorders Research Group in October 2021 as a Research Worker on the DAISIES trial, a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing inpatient treatment-as-usual to a novel stepped-care day treatment approach.

Prior to this role he completed an MSc in Clinical Psychology and Health Services at Goldsmiths, University of London, and an MA(Hons) in Philosophy and Psychology at the University of Edinburgh. He has worked within mental health for several years across a variety of contexts, the most recent role being within an inpatient eating disorder unit. He is now working as a Research Worker on the EDIFY Trial on WS3. 

Verity Chester is a Research Associate and the Network Manager for RADiANT, a clinical and research consortium focuses on mental health and behavioural issues associated with five developmental conditions; Intellectual Disability, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Epilepsy and Acquired Brain Injury. She is also the Editor of Advances in Autism and the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, and is currently studying a PhD at the University of East Anglia, exploring social information processing among autistic offenders.

Prior to this, Verity obtained her BSc in Forensic Psychology from the University of Leeds in 2009, and a MSc in Forensic Psychology from London Metropolitan University in 2012. Throughout her studies Verity has worked as a Research Associate on a portfolio of projects ranging from clinical audit, service evaluation, quality improvement, and research. Verity has authored over 70 peer reviewed publications and her research interests are related to developmental disabilities (particularly intellectual disability and autism), mental health, forensic involvement, and the interface between these. 

After graduating from University with undergraduate and master’s degrees in psychology and clinical psychology research, Elanor has worked within research at St Andrew’s Healthcare. Her research interests include psychological trauma in forensic populations, physical health, and moral injury and wellbeing in mental healthcare staff.  Alongside her role, Elanor has also recently completed a PhD at University of Central Lancashire, undertaking a programme of research on the sources, risk factors and mechanisms underlying moral injury in secure mental healthcare staff. 

Madeleine Allman is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Developmental Psychopathology Lab. Madeleine earned her BS in Psychology and Public Health from Tulane University in December 2016 and her Masters of Public Health in Epidemiology from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in December 2017. After graduating, she came to Houston to work in global health research at Baylor College of Medicine. Madeleine is interested in caregiver-child relationships, especially how they are impacted by exposure to trauma and interventions that address the impact of adversity in caregiver child relationships. Madeleine defended her masters thesis analyzing the impact of the Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) on Social Cognition among Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in South Africa. She is also working on her dissertation project focusing on MISC’s implementation in the context of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), which is funded by an NIH F31 predoctoral fellowship. Madeleine is also interested in the assessment and treatment of emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents.

Dr Freya Rumball is a Principal Clinical Psychologist and researcher, leading the Oxleas Adult Autism Assessment Service within the NHS. She completed a PhD at the University of Exeter in 2013, specialising in understanding the risk and resilience mechanisms in PTSD development.

During her PhD she became aware of a research gap regarding the experience of trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in autistic individuals, and began researching this neglected area during her postdoc and DClin training. Dr Rumball’s research over the last 10 years, collaborating with the Re:Spect Lab at King’s College London IoPPN, has focused on exploring the experience and interpretation of trauma and mechanisms of PTSD development in autistic individuals.

Dr Rachel Worthington is a Forensic Psychologist with over 25 years’ experience of working with clients in prisons, secure psychiatric hospitals and in the community. She is trained in the assessment and delivery of therapy for adult and adolescent clients (male and female) with neurodiversity, personality difficulties, PTSD and complex PTSD, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and acquired brain injury. Rachel has also undertaken specific training in Autism, ADHD and Sensory Processing and have supported both verbal and non-verbal clients. She has published and presented both nationally and internationally on neurodiversity and offending behaviour. Her current research is focussed on supporting young people to be safe in the online space and she is a member of the Institute for Children’s Futures.

Dr Arvid Nikolai Kildahl is a Specialist in Clinical Psychology who has worked in specialized mental health care for autistic people and people with intellectual disabilities for more than a decade. He completed his PhD in 2021 at the University of Oslo, on the topic of identification of post-traumatic stress disorder in autistic adults with co-occurring intellectual disabilities.

Kildahl is currently employed at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, as a researcher in two national centres of expertise: The Norwegian Advisory Unit on Mental Health in Intellectual Disabilities and the Norwegian Centre of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Hypersomnias. He conducts research relating to various topics within the field of mental health and intellectual disabilities/autism, and has primarily published on topics relating to trauma and PTSD in these populations.

Dr Deborah Morris (Scientific Committee and Co-Chair) Director, Centre for Developmental and Complex Trauma, UK Director of Postgraduate programmes in trauma, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Buckingham Deborah is the director for the Centre for Developmental and Complex Trauma and the Director of Post graduate programmes in trauma, University of Buckingham.

A Consultant Clinical Psychologist by training, Deborah has worked clinically with adults with complex personality disorder, neurodevelopmental, forensic and mental health needs in the community, assertive outreach, crisis, residential, prison and inpatient settings.