Jiedi Lei

I lead a research group based at the Centre for Emerging Minds Research that focuses on:

1) Exploring strengths based approaches to support neurodivergent children/young people and their families. My research fellowship and several other funded projects include developing and validating novel assessment tool to evaluate strengths profiles in neurodivergent children and young people, co-producing strengths-based workshop and training to support autistic young people, their parents/carers and mental health professionals to adopt Positive Psychology approaches in everyday life.

2) Understanding the overlap between autistic traits and key cognitive and behavioural mechanisms that precipitate and maintain the development of co-occurring mental health difficulties in autistic children and young people. I am particularly interested in translating our understanding of such mechanisms to develop more effective ways of adapting existing and piloting novel interventions to improve mental health outcomes and quality of life for autistic children and young people.

I serve as the Past Chair for Student and Trainee Committee at the International Society for Autism Research, Co-Chair for Lived Experience Involvement and Research Inclusion Committee at the Centre for Emerging Minds Research, and as Co-Chair for the Neurodiversity and Disability Working Group at the Department of Psychiatry.