helen.powell at kcl.ac.uk
KCL Pure
Project: I joined the InPuts lab as a PhD student in October 2020 graduating in 2024. My project focused on investigating socio‑affective touch in autistic and non-autistic individuals using quantitative psychophysical approaches and understanding how this could relate to differences in low-level tactile processing and mental health. I investigated the association between touch processing and psychiatric disorders that commonly co-occur with autism, such as anxiety. In addition, as part of a collaboration with the A*STAR Institute in Singapore. During my first postdoc I looked into predictors and impact of CBT for alleviating sensory difficulties in autistic children and adolescents and I currently work on examining sensory biomarkers in autism using multimodal approaches (EEG, psychophysics) across development.
Biography: Before joining the lab, I did my undergraduate degree in Pharmacology at Newcastle University, and a master’s degree in Pharmacological Innovation at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. Following this, I worked for a few years in clinical research, first as a Clinical Trial Assistant, and later as a Medical Writer, where I wrote Clinical Study Reports for Phase I trials investigating treatments in ASD, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.L. MSc in Neuroscience and Medical radiation. Loves to study anything MRS-related, also likes to drink good coffee and contemplate paintings.
Sensory InputsLab 