Clare Melvin

Clare Melvin is a Lecturer in Psychology at the School of Psychology, University of East Anglia (UEA), where she joined in 2020 after completing her PhD in Applied Psychology at the University of Kent. She is a member of the Gender and Its Intersections research group and is actively involved in clinical and academic research related to neurodiversity, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental health.

• PhD in Applied Psychology, University of Kent (2020)
• MSc in Psychological Research Methods, University of Edinburgh (2008)
• Diploma in Psychology, Open University (2005)
• BA (Hons) in Communication Studies, Nottingham Trent University (2003)

Her research focuses on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism across the lifespan, particularly in areas of child development, early intervention, assessment, treatment, forensic needs, social policy, health inequalities, and criminal justice involvement. She integrates clinical psychology, public health, and ethical considerations in her work.

Her recent publications explore psychopathy assessment in autistic inpatients, CBT for harmful sexual behavior in neurodivergent men, mental health data ethics, and national trends in psychiatric admissions for people with intellectual disabilities. These works reflect a strong interdisciplinary focus combining clinical psychology, data science, ethics, and policy.

She serves as an External Examiner at the University of Bath (2023–2026) and University of Limerick (2023–2024), and is a RADiANT Advisory Member and Director for Children & Young People at Safer IDD. She has provided consultancy to the Challenging Behaviour Foundation and British Institute of Learning Disabilities.

Clare has been actively engaged in professional activities including invited talks at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal Society of Medicine, and British Psychological Society, as well as workshops on neurodiversity in prison settings. She leads the project Autism and Biophilia: The impact of natural scenes on anxiety (2023–2026), reflecting her interest in environmental influences on mental health.