Nina Zhang
Dr Nina Zhang is an ADR UK Research Fellow in the Institute of Population Health.
What type of fellowship do you have?
When did you start your fellowship?
September 2024.
What were you doing prior to your fellowship?
I was a Tenure Track Fellow and funded by the Civic Health Innovation Labs (CHIL) and NIHR Health Protection Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections (HPRU GI).
Why did you choose to undertake your fellowship with the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences?
Great colleagues to work with and fantastic mentorship support.
How does ADR UK fund your work?
ADR UK funded about 73% of my salary to conduct this project - from September 2024 to June 2026.
What is the aim of your research?
My project aims to generate new knowledge about the impact of clinical diagnosis of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) upon inequalities in health and education outcomes for children in England. Specifically:
- What factors influence whether children referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) receive a diagnosis of ASD?
- How does the likelihood of receiving a diagnosis differ based on factors like socioeconomic background and ethnicity?
- How does the support provided for special educational needs in schools affect the relationship between receiving an ASD diagnosis in CAMHS and children's health and education outcomes?
- How do these effects above vary depending on factors like socioeconomic background and ethnicity?
- How can the services provided by CAMHS and special educational needs support be improved based on the findings of this research, to help reduce differences in outcomes for children from different backgrounds?
What inspired you to look at this field?
Personal experiences. Autism in children and young people is a topic very close to my heart.