About
Louisa Rinaldi is a Research Fellow in Psychology at the University of Sussex, affiliated with the School of Psychology. Her research focuses on sensory differences, multisensory development, and conditions like synaesthesia and misophonia in childhood. She holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Sussex, where her doctoral work explored synaesthesia development in children.
Her research interests include sensory processing disorders, autism traits, creativity in neurodiverse populations, and mental health outcomes in children with misophonia. Collaborations with co-authors such as Julia Simner and Rebecca Smees are central to her work.
Rinaldi has published extensively on topics like misophonia’s link to self-harm, sensory sensitivity assessments (e.g., the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire), and the relationship between autistic traits and creativity. Her work bridges clinical psychology, neuroscience, and developmental research, with a focus on improving well-being and diagnostic tools for neurodivergent populations.
Notable contributions include the development of the Sussex Misophonia Scale for Adults and Adolescents, and the Sensory Diversity Framework predictive model. Her studies highlight intersections between sensory processing, mental health, and neurodevelopmental conditions.
