Lorna Hamilton

Professor Lorna Hamilton is a faculty member at York St John University, holding the title of Professor of Developmental Psychology and Inclusive Education. She is affiliated with the School of Education, Language and Psychology, focusing on research areas including neurodiversity in education and inclusive practices. Her academic qualifications include a PhD from the University of York, a PGDip from the Open University, and degrees from the University of Cambridge.

Her research emphasizes neurodiversity-affirming education, with leadership in the ReNEW group and strategic roles in inclusive education initiatives. Current projects include the STEPS transition support program and the Institute for Social Justice's Inclusive Neurodiverse Campuses initiative. She also contributes to national committees such as the British Psychological Society's DART-P division.

• Education:
  • PhD Psychology, University of York (2013)
  • PGDip Psychology Conversion, Open University
  • MPhil, University of Cambridge
  • BA (Hons), University of Cambridge

Professor Hamilton's teaching focuses on neurodiversity in development, psychology in education, and child development research. She supervises PhD students and has published extensively on topics like autistic wellbeing, school transitions, and compassionate pedagogy. Her work integrates participatory methods with stakeholders, including autistic individuals, families, and educators.

Professional recognitions include Chartered Psychologist status, Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She has contributed to grant reviews for funding bodies like the Dutch Research Council and served as external examiner for multiple psychology programs.

Her advocacy extends to co-facilitating the Autism Community of Practice and delivering neurodiversity-affirming training for schools and universities. Current grants include NIHR's DIVERT project and collaborations with organizations like Spectrum First Education Ltd.

Labs/Teams: Leads the ReNEW Research Group and collaborates with the Institute for Social Justice on community projects.