Susan Daniels, PhD

National Autism Coordinator

National Institute of Health

Dr. Daniels is the National Autism Coordinator for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Office of National Autism Coordination (ONAC) at the National Institute of Mental Health.  As National Autism Coordinator, Dr. Daniels facilitates the coordination and implementation of autism activities across federal departments and agencies. Dr. Daniels also serves as the Executive Secretary of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), a federal advisory committee created by Congress to coordinate federal activities and provide advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues related to autism. Before coming to NIH, Dr. Daniels was a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Academy of Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from Brandeis University, where she conducted research on the function of the sensory nervous system.

Bernadette Grosjean MD.

Psychiatrist

Retired Harbor UCLA

Dr. Grosjean has worked as a psychiatrist in Belgium then in California for over 30 years, in private practice, and community hospital and nonprofit organizations geared to help vulnerable populations. She was Associate professor of Psychiatry at UCLA until 2016. She worked with women and men with wide-ranging struggles, diagnoses and life journeys. She co-authored "Le Manuel du Borderline "(2014) "Le Manuel du Bipolaire" (2017) and "Le Manuel de l'Autiste (2022), the first comprehensive guides in French about BPD, Bipolar disorders and Adult Autism for patients and families (Eyrolles, Paris) In her presentation for the 4th Annual Stanford Neurodiversity Summit, she will discuss how she realized that being autistic was a key factor in her successful career as a clinician and a researcher. It also explained some of her struggles in the institutional and Academic worlds.

Andy Ling-chi Kwan

Project Manager, Data Analysis

Andy Ling-chi Kwan is a project manager for the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University, where she supports fundraisers with data management and reporting. A late-diagnosed autistic person, she joined Stanford in 2022 with the help of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project's Neurodiversity at Work program. She has worked in secondary and higher education in various capacities since graduating from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in history. Andy considers herself a lifelong learner and in her spare time enjoys taking classes at her local community college.

Tamar Sofer-Geri

Senior Associate Director, Development Programs

Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences

Tamar is a senior associate director of development programs in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences. Tamar previously worked at the Office of Development from 1997-2004 and at the Graduate School of Business from 2006-2008.  During her time away from campus, Tamar founded Carb DM, a nonprofit organization that provided community, support, and education for families, children, teens, and adults living with type 1 diabetes. She stepped away from her role at Carb DM in May 2018 and returned to Stanford in January 2019.  When she is not at Stanford, Tamar enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time with her husband,  adult children, and friends.

Joel Schneider, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate

University of Minnesota

Dr. Joel Schneider (they/them) is an education researcher, engineer, and mentor, currently at the University of Minnesota in Biology Teaching & Learning. Being late-diagnosed autistic, queer, disabled, and the first in their family to pursue a PhD, Joel encountered many confusing expectations and hidden curriculum in their work. It became clear to them the variety of ways neurodiverse and marginalized folks don't fit into the standardized systems of education and employment, especially in academia. Through that, they have learned about navigating these systems, advocating for change, and developing workplace environments that can help systematically marginalized people thrive.  They completed their PhD in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University, where they participated in the Neurodiversity at Work employment support program. Given the personal impacts that resources and support programs like that have had for them, they are also a firm advocate for expanding such neurodiversity support.  Passionate about building community and education that are more just, Joel is growing their education career, navigating academia, and researching anti-racist biology teaching. They love mentoring and helping others overcome systemic barriers. A good tea instantly brightens their day, and their current special interests include maps, public transportation networks, cooking recipes, and the band R√∂yksopp.

Kelly Lane, PhD

Assistant Professor of Biology Teaching and Learning

University of Minnesota

A. Kelly Lane, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the department of Biology Teaching and Learning at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on how biology curriculum and mentoring practices promote essentialist thinking in the life sciences. Her work aims to break down these cultural norms in science to promote learning spaces that are welcome to all individuals with particular interest undergraduate and graduate biology. 

Mel Houser, MD

Executive Director

All Brains Belong VT

Dr. Mel Houser (she/they) is an autistic family physician with a clinical focus on providing medical care for neurodivergent patients across the lifespan. She is the Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in Montpelier, Vermont that uses universal design principles to provide neurodiversity-affirming medical care, social connection opportunities for all ages, and neurodiversity-related educational training.  At age 37, Dr. Houser was diagnosed as autistic, ADHD, dyspraxic, dyslexic, and dyscalculic.  

Lawrence Fung, MD, PhD

Director, Stanford Neurodiversity Project

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Stanford University

Dr. Lawrence Fung is a scientist and psychiatrist specialized in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the father of a neurodiverse teenager with ASD. He is the director of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project, which strives to uncover the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilize their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole. He directs the Neurodiverse Student Support Program, Neurodiversity at Work Program (recently funded by Autism Speaks), and Adult Neurodevelopment Clinic at Stanford. Dr. Fung is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His lab advances the understanding of neural bases of human socio-communicative and cognitive functions by using novel neuroimaging and technologies. His team devise and implement novel interventions to improve the lives of neurodiverse individuals by maximizing their potential and productivity. For example, he is conducting a study to demonstrate that specialized employment programs such as Neurodiversity at Work program will result in higher retention rates and quality of life

Sydney Montgomery

Executive Director and Founder

S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting

Sydney Montgomery is the Executive Director and Founder of the faith-based nonprofit organization, Barrier Breakers®, which is dedicated to increasing access to, and success in, higher education for BIPOC and other marginalized students. Barrier Breakers® has worked with 7,000 students on the college and law school admissions process. Sydney holds a B.A. in English from Princeton University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a Certificate in Independent Educational Consulting from UC Irvine, and a Certificate in Anti-Racism in Urban Education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association and the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors. Sydney is currently an MDiv/MACEF candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary. She speaks and leads workshops on issues of educational equity and diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, corporate, and faith-based settings and has been featured in Inc., Forbes, FastCompany, Medium, and CNBC, among others. 

William James Carter

PhD Student and Fulbright Scholar

University of California, Berkeley - Department of Geography

William James Carter (he/him) is a PhD Student and Fulbright Scholar from SE London, England, in the Geography Department at the University of California, Berkeley. He works within the Berkeley Black Geographies Project, studying the aquatic histories of the Atlantic World and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.  He examines the origins of racialisation and the process by which Blackness became associated with danger through sequentially theorizing the experiences of the enslaved through the contested geographies of riverine, littoral west/central Africa, and the slave ship.   William is neurodivergent and, alongside his academics, engages in extensive community engagement around neurodiversity and Disability Justice.  These efforts include co-developing the Accessibility Beyond Compliance (ABC) Initiative, a Neurodiversity Clinic at Berkeley‚ University Health Services, and the Neurodiversity Task Force of the UC Berkeley Graduate Division.   You can read more about his work on his department profile, download his digital business card, or check out his new Instagram @7hours13days (he is a massive Prince fan).

Rachel Lewis

Law Student, Researcher 

University of Victoria

Rachel Lewis is a student in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria. She has a BA in Native Studies with a minor in Political Science. Her undergraduate study areas included research on Indigeneity, international relations, and criminal legal systems with a special emphasis on kinship services, Indigenous jurisprudence, and legal histories. As a neurodivergent advocate and co-founder of the Canadian Neurodiversity in Law (CNDL), she is interested in access to legal education, educational reform for neurodivergent individuals, the competitive advantage of neurodivergent legal professionals, and best practices for supporting thought diversity in law.   She also has experience working as a research assistant for the Access to Justice Centre of Excellence at the University of Victoria (ACE), where she co-organized the first-ever neurodiversity-inclusive workshop for law professors at her school and partnered with the Canadian Bar Association of British Columbia (CBABC) to create a panel that discusses the importance of neurodiversity in law. Rachel also has experience working for the Black Law Students Association of Canada, the University of Alberta Native Studies Structural Racism Module, the M√©tis Archival Research Project, and as a sentencing advisory and extrajudicial sanctions member for the Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP).   In her spare time, Rachel enjoys playing soccer, reading, and writing spoken word poetry.

Brian Liu 

Graduate Student

Stanford University

Brian Liu is an autistic math teacher and current Stanford masters student in the Institute for Computational and Mathematical Engineering. They graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Applied Mathematics and Integrative Biology with a CalTeach credential. Brian is refining their math teaching to promote problem-solving and learning through inquiry and discovery, especially for neurodivergent students of color. They also write spoken word poetry and share at open mics to promote autistic pride, AAPI events, and protests for animal liberation.

Jordan O'Kelley

Student

Cal State Los Angeles

Jordan O'Kelley is a neurodiverse student at Cal State LA, where he is majoring in Physics with a minor in Mathematics.  Jordan is twice exceptional, having been diagnosed with autism at age 4 and identified as gifted age 10.  He advocates for strength-based education, encouraging neurodiverse individuals to follow their strengths and embrace their differences.  Jordan radically accelerated his education, enrolling in college at age 14 through CSULA‚ Early Entrance Program.  He has had an internship through NASA, N3 Program, and an REU in the Physics Department at Vanderbilt University, through the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation.  He is currently participating in the U-RISE Program at Cal State LA, researching star formation and astro-chemistry.  He plans to pursue a PhD in Physics.  Jordan has written articles, participated in podcasts, and speaks at education conferences and universities on his experiences with public and private education as 2e student.  He is a part of The O'Kelley Lab, a grass roots effort to promote supports, resources, and creative solutions for neurodiverse and gifted individuals.  Jordan also created a YouTube video‚2e Like Me, to promote 2e awareness and advocacy, and is featured in the award-winning documentary,O'Kelley Legends:  2e Behind the Scenes.

Katelyn Weinstein

Student

University of Guelph

Katelyn Weinstein (she/they) is neurodivergent post-secondary student and activist living in Ontario, Canada.   She's a passionate advocate for neurodiversity inclusion and improved access to mental health care and support.   Katelyn also practices openness in her own lived experience as a queer neurodivergent woman and student, prioritizing intersectionality as a necessity for improving equity for neurodiverse communities. Their vulnerability helps destigmatize conversations about ADHD, anxiety, and mental health.   Katelyn has supported neurodiversity campaigns through the Centre for ADHD Awareness Canada (CADDAC) as well as the Centre for Diverse Learners (CDL), where she spoke on her lived experience and provided peer support programming to neurodiverse youth. She has also advocated in school boards for improved supports and curriculum related to mental health literacy, and hopes to continue this advocacy throughout her career. Katelyn is currently working on an Honours BA at the University of Guelph, and hopes to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology or social work.