Isabella Vainieri

Isabella Vainieri is a Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London, joining in September 2023. Previously, she worked across multiple institutions in Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience roles.

• PhD in Developmental Psychiatry (2017–2020), King's College London
• MSc in Neuroscience (2015–2016), King's College London
• MSc and BSc in Clinical Psychology (2010–2012, 2007–2010), LUMSA University

Her research focuses on neurodevelopmental and neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and Autism, integrating environmental and biological perspectives. She investigates childhood predictors of life satisfaction, psychological outcomes, and cognitive development. Additionally, she explores pedagogical strategies in neuroscience education, aiming to enhance student engagement.

Her recent publications address mental health outcome tools, biomarkers for neurodevelopmental disorders, science communication in postgraduate education, qualitative studies on online parenting groups, and psychological testing in pediatric neurology. She leads the active project Validation of a measure to assess neuroscience anxiety among university students, emphasizing educational innovation.

At Royal Holloway, she coordinates the module Understanding Neuroscience and teaches Advanced Developmental Psychology, Social and Affective Neuroscience, and Developmental Disorders. She supervises undergraduate and postgraduate research projects and provides personal tutoring for students.