Birgit De Vadder obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Ghent University in 2019. After completing her internship at the Department of Medical Psychology for Children and Adolescents at Ghent University Hospital, she worked for several years as a clinical psychologist in a home-based support service for children with neurodevelopmental conditions. Motivated to integrate clinical insight with scientific research, she combined this work with a position as a research assistant at the Research in Developmental Diversity Lab (RIDDL). Within RIDDL, she worked on the Preschool Brain Imaging and Behaviour Project (PIP) and the DANS study. Birgit is currently pursuing a PhD on the PIP study, investigating how early behavioural and neurobiological factors shape adaptive functioning and, in turn, influence quality of life in children with autism. Her broader research aim is to deepen our understanding of individual developmental pathways in autism in order to help inform more tailored and effective interventions.
