Hi! I am a first year PhD student at the University of Birmingham. I conduct research that looks into behaviours that may challenge autistic individuals with intellectual disability. 

This August I will run the London Half Marathon to raise money and awareness for Cerebra, a charity that is dedicated to researching and supporting children and families with neurodevelopmental disorders. 

Why am I running for Cerebra?

I am honoured to work with an incredibly inspiring team of intelligent and compassionate researchers, who all share a common goal of trying to improve the lives of those with rare genetic syndromes and intellectual/developmental disorders. 

As part of the Cerebra Network, we work very closely with Cerebra, who write on their website "Over 500,000 children in the UK live with a brain condition. This can make normal activities such as learning, playing or simply experiencing the world a huge challenge. Through our research we offer solutions and advice to help these children and their families enjoy lives full of hope and discovery."

I am proud to support my research team and Cerebra in running this race. I hope my fundraising campaign will help spread awareness of the support and information Cerebra offer to families of children with brain conditions (more info below). 

Why running?!

Over the course of (one, two, three...) lockdowns, I like many others turned to exercise as a way of coping with the craziness of 2020/21. With the gyms closed I found I enjoyed running during the bright summer months. My 'competitive' running experience, however, starts and stops early on at school. But, I'm excited to rise to this challenge (and challenge it will be), and finally commit to the phrase I've often been caught saying - "maybe I should run a marathon"... (Half will do for now!). 

Thank you

If you feel you have the means and desire to donate to Cerebra via my page, I want to say a huge thank you. I know these are exceptional times, so I am especially grateful. Not only will your donation fund essential research and support, it will also give me a boost of motivation during those long training sessions!

More info

• If you would like to find out more about Cerebra and the important work they do, you can learn more here: https://cerebra.org.uk/what-we-do/ 

• Access free resources including Parent Guides, Sleep Advice and Legal Support by following this link: https://cerebra.org.uk/get-advice-support/

• If you are interested in reading more about my research, and learning more about the Richards Lab (run by Dr Caroline Richards, based at the University of Birmingham), check out: https://carolinerichards.net/

• You can read more about the Cerebra Network for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, a collaboration of research teams across Birmingham, Aston, Surrey and Warwick Universities, here: https://cerebra.org.uk/what-we-do/research/our-research-partners/cnnd/