SUPPORTING NEURODIVERGENT VOICES IN NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH

2nd Aug 2024

The BNA is proud to have supported an innovative project amplifying neurodivergent voices in neuroscience research. The NEUROART project paired neurodivergent artists with neuroscientists at King’s College London, with the aim of fostering dialogue between the neurodivergent community and neuroscientists researching neurodiversity.

One of these pairings took place in the ADHD Research Lab at King’s College London, led by the BNA's KCL Local Group Representative Prof. Eleanor Dommett.  This exciting collaboration brought together neurodivergent artist Carrie Ravenscroft and neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a PhD student in Eleanor’s research group.

Carrie Ravenscroft – a neurodivergent, queer artist and mental health advocate based in London – completed cognitive tasks, an eye-tracking experiment, and had her brain waves measured using EEG during her visit to the lab.

She then created a series of mixed-media artworks titled We Were Failed, reflecting on her experience as well as the broader experiences of neurodivergent research participants. This process was captured in  Jeremy Chevillotte’s short film Art + Science, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look.

https://youtu.be/9PFT8VUDHLE

The resulting artworks and film were revealed at the NEUROART exhibition at the Science Gallery in February. In addition to We Were Failed and Art + Science, the exhibition featured a panel discussion titled Amplifying Neurodivergent Artists in Research and Art as well as works by artist Bhavani Esapathi in collaboration with Deborah Reyes in the Deepak Srivastava Lab, and by King’s College London staff and students.

Supporting such science communication projects allows the BNA to advance its mission of supporting researchers and engaging the public in neuroscience. Giving neurodivergent individuals like Carrie a voice in how research investigating conditions such as ADHD is conducted and represented is incredibly important.

We are proud to highlight her unique perspective and thank all involved in this inspirational collaboration. The NEUROART exhibition demonstrates the power of bringing together science and art to build understanding and advocate for inclusion.

Could your local neuroscience community benefit from an event to support its innovation, collaboration, growth and development?

If you're a BNA member, why not contact your Local Group Representative and make your idea a reality with up to £1,000 in BNA funding?

The NEUROART project and event were spearheaded by volunteers, about half of whom are neurodivergent.

The project was conceptualized and founded by Bethan Burnside. It was developed and driven by them, and Shaakir Salam and Keshvi Shah, with the help and input of Michael Motoc, Amar Mehta, and Aoife Coghlan.The project was supported by the UKRI MRC Centre for Developmental Disorders, WOHL Cellular Imaging Centre, and ADHD Research Lab, based at King's College London, in addition to Ness Labs and the British Neuroscience Association.

In addition, the volunteer team are grateful to Leigh Wilson, Deepak Srivastava, and Ellie Dommett for facilitating the vision; to Science Gallery London for providing the venue; to the project artists Bhavani Esapathi and Carrie Ravenscroft; to the project researchers Anne-Laure Le Cunff and Deborah Reyes; to the panelists not yet mentioned Virginia Carter Leno and Bayparvah Kaur Gehdu; and to the Open Call respondents Toni Mo, Khushali Khowal, Anastasia Smirnova, Trinity Bernard-Jones, Sajal Porwal, and Zoe Grisedale-Sherry.