Dyfodol National Neurodevelopmental Conditions Conference

This event is subsidised by Dyfodol.

The Dyfodol (meaning 'Future') programme offers several workstreams to both respond to challenges and opportunities across the health service, but also to model and design future services and pathways. This is achieved through an evidence-based, and informed approach, and through research collaborations with partners.

Dyfodol is hosted by National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (NCCMH), working in partnership with RCPsych in Wales and the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee (JCC). The programme formally reports to Welsh Government.

We've opened registration for the conference, and will be sharing the draft programme at the beginning of September. We are delighted to highlight a number of our confirmed speakers:

Dr Laura Hull is a Research Fellow at the University of Bristol. Her research focuses on supporting the mental health of neurodivergent people across the lifespan, with particular interest in masking.

Dr Hull’s background is in psychology research, with a particular interest in clinically relevant research to support autistic people. Like Professor Mandy, she is a clinically orientated academic. Her PhD, at University College London, was focused on camouflaging or masking in autism, aiming to understand and measure the ways in which autistic people feel pressured to hide or compensate for their autistic traits. She has also been involved in research aiming to improve the ways that we diagnose autism in adulthood.

Dr Hull joined the University of Bristol in 2021 to complete a fellowship identifying factors that predict poor mental health outcomes in autistic young people. Her current role is as Prudence Trust Research Fellow, exploring the relationship between masking and mental health in neurodivergent young people. She developed the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) based on autistic adults’ experiences of camouflaging and has developed a questionnaire for younger autistic individuals.

Professor Raja Mukherjee is an Adult Learning Disability Consultant Psychiatrist for Surrey and Border’s Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, with interest in the management of developmental disorders across the lifespan. In September 2009 he started the first NHS based specialist Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders behavioural clinic and since then has seen over 250 cases for specialist second opinion as a National referral service. Dr Mukherjee completed his PhD on the subject of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in 2014.

He has also acted as an invited advisor to the BMA Board of Science, The Department of Health and the World Health Organisation on the subject of FASD. In 2015, Dr Mukherjee also gave evidence to the first All Party Parliamentary Group on FASD at the House of Commons. He has continued to support national clinical developments related to FASD. Dr Mukherjee is a member of the NICE quality standards group for FASD. He is currently the only UK representative to a US, NIHR-sponsored initiative to consider the research criteria for FASD. In his own time, he volunteers as a medical advisor to various FASD charities both in the UK and internationally. In 2021, he was made an Honorary Professor at the University of Salford related to his work on FASD.

In wider work, he is currently Clinical Lead for Adult neurodevelopmental services provided by Surrey and Borders, including Adult ASD and ADHD services across Surrey, Hampshire and Portsmouth. He is an executive committee member and Finance Officer of the RCPsych SIG on neurodevelopmental disorders, and an Executive member of the ID Faculty. Prof Mukherjee was awarded an MBE for his work related to FASD in the King's Birthday Honours list in June 2023.

Professor Samuele Cortese is currently a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Professor; Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Southampton; and Honorary Consultant for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.

He is also an Adjunct Professor at New York University (NYU). Prof. Cortese’s main research interests focus on neurodevelopmental disorders, with a particular focus on the evaluation of treatments and the implementation of evidence-based practices. Since 2022, he has been included in the top 1% of scientists in the field of psychiatry and psychology (Clarivate – Web of Science).

He is the Chair of the European Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Guidelines Group; co-Chair of the British Association for Psychopharmacology, Child and Adolescent module; a member of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Child and Adolescent Network; and a member of the task force for the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders (APSARD) adult ADHD guidelines. He previously served as a member of the NHS ADHD Taskforce and as a member of the specialist committee for the NICE guideline on digital technologies for assessing ADHD.

Professor Rohit Shankar is a Professor in Neuropsychiatry with the University of Plymouth Peninsula School of Medicine and director of its Cornwall Intellectual Disability Equitable Research (CIDER) unit.

He is the associate Dean for academic training for the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych). He is a consultant in developmental neuropsychiatry and clinical director for the Cornwall adult intellectual disability services. Awarded an MBE (2018) for services to the learning disability community he has national/international awards including the RCPsych Digital Team of the Year (2023), RCPsych Intellectual disabilities team of the year (2021), British Medical Journal (BMJ) awards for mental health (2020), Education (2019) Neurology (2016), Innovation (highly commended-2017), ILAE Epileptic Disorders best paper (2017) and Epilepsy Foundation America SUDEP Challenge (2016). He is the chair of the RCPsych Southwest England division, the vice-chair of the Intellectual Disability faculty of the RCPsych and lead of the Cochrane update for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in people with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. He was on the NICE epilepsy panel, National confidential inquiry for deaths in epilepsy, and is currently on the global International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) commission for inclusion and diversity and the ILAE task force for neurodevelopmental disorders. His interests are in co-producing with patients’ translational clinical research in neurodevelopmental/neuropsychiatric disorders, risk management, and health technology. He has over 250 index-linked publications/book-chapters and has led/contributed to various national reports, with over 90% as first/last and/or corresponding author.

Professor William Mandy (Will Mandy) is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology.

His work aims to improve the recognition of autism, and to develop new interventions to help autistic people. He has a particular research interest in improving the identification and care of autistic girls and women, who are currently at high risk of going unnoticed and unhelped by clinical and educational services.

He also studies autistic mental health, seeking to understand what causes and maintains mental health problems of autistic people, with the aim of informing prevention and treatment. His collaborative work on post-diagnostic support for autistic young people includes the development of interventions to help children with autism transition from primary to secondary school; to teach children about their autism diagnosis, with an emphasis on fostering their sense of self-worth and pride; and groups to promote self-management and positive autistic identity during the transition to adulthood.

Dr Dheeraj Chaudhary is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and a leading clinician in Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry, with particular expertise in ADHD and a strong interest in Autism. He is on the GMC Specialist Register and holds a CCT in Forensic Psychiatry. Dr Chaudhary is also a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) by examination, and holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Psychiatry from the University of Manchester.

He is Section 12(2)-approved under the Mental Health Act (1983/2007), recognising his specialist expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. He provides assessment and treatment for a wide range of psychiatric conditions and is known for his thorough, thoughtful, and holistic clinical approach.

Dr Chaudhary is an Executive Committee Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’
Neurodevelopmental Psychiatry Special Interest Group (NDPSIG), contributing to national leadership and the development of clinical standards in ADHD and Autism.

He was shortlisted for the RCPsych North West Psychiatrist of the Year Award 2023, a recognition of his clinical excellence, leadership, and contribution to the field.

Dr Chaudhary is actively involved in teaching. He regularly delivers courses on ADHD and has recently spoken at the RCPsych International Congress – Rehab Faculty, at the Andrew Sims Centre (Leeds), and many more.

He also hosts a LinkedIn Live Series focused on ADHD, Autism, professional development, and best practices in neurodevelopmental psychiatry - engaging clinicians, and the wider community.

Dr Chaudhary believes that meaningful progress in mental health comes from collaboration with patients, understanding their unique context, and tailoring solutions accordingly.

We'll be accepting posters for this conference, both for display and oral presentation. 

We'd encourage posters that focus on the theme of the conference, but we are very happy to consider work for display on other focus areas as well.

Further information on how to submit your posters is available, and the closing date for entries will be 26 October. All entries should be submitted to Ollie John.

We held our National Psychosis Conference in April 2026, whilst also launching Dyfodol.

We welcomed speakers over 2 days, including Prof Sir Robin Murray, and a keynote from Kate Northcott Spall. Additionally, 15 excellent posters were shortlisted for display and presentation.

You can view the conference report, as well as posters from the conference.

The venue is accessible through Gate 7 of the Stadium only, this is located on the River Walk (and not the Westgate Street entrance)

Further information on getting to the venue is also provided.

We have a number of bursaries for medical students who wish to attend this conference.

Please complete the linked form and we'll be in touch.