Dr. Diana Tan
ARC DECRA Fellow & Senior Research Fellow
Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University
I am an ARC DECRA Fellow and a Senior Research Fellow at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University. My research sits at the intersection of autism, neurodiversity, and inclusion. My work spans three interconnected areas: the experiences of Autistic people with stigma and social marginalisation; inclusion of neurodivergent students and staff in higher education; and the theory and practice of participatory autism research. Across these areas, I am particularly interested in how research processes themselves can either reinforce or challenge the marginalisation that Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people experience.
I completed my PhD in Psychology at the University of Western Australia in 2018, and since then have built a programme of research focused on understanding and dismantling the structural and social barriers that shape Autistic people’s lives. I also serve as Secretary of the Australasian Society for Autism Research (ASfAR), where I work to support and connect the autism research community across the Asia Pacific regions.
Outside of research, you’ll find me in the kitchen, out on a run or in the pool, deep in an anime series, or — most likely — chasing my toddler around.