Nicola Kinnier
Nicola is currently the Grant Holder Manager and Network Administrator in the Department of Psychology at the University of East London, overseeing the administrative management of the COST Action CA22111 ENVIRO-DEV. The Action is a European consortium dedicated to determining how complex, real-world environments influence early childhood and brain development.
Nicola also completed a research assistant internship at ISEY, after earning an MSc in psychology with distinction from the University of East London. Her final research project investigated the effects of predictable teaching mechanisms on children's physiological stress and attention, exploring the powerful, beneficial impact that enhanced predictability in explicit teaching moments can have, specifically for autistic children.
Nicola has experience working in educational environments, supporting children identified as having additional educational needs and disabilities. She is interested in research that explores early educational environments and teaching practices from a neuroscientific perspective to better facilitate both learning and teaching simultaneously, promoting accessibility and inclusivity for all learners.
Nicola’s broader academic interests are centred around atypical developmental trajectories associated with autism and the subsequent cascading effects and phenotypic presentations. She is passionate about translational research in this area, which provides real-world insights to formulate support for autistic individuals in all aspects of their lives.
