There is no doubt, in my mind that deepening the participation neurodivergent young people in this way, has been absolutely central to RE-STAR’s scientific success as it attempts to understanding the origins of adolescent depression risk in ADHD and autism. From a personal point of view it’s been such a privilege to both lead and learn from such an incredibly talented and diverse set of people. Our hope is that this honour from the BJP will encourage other research teams to recognise the scientific value of deep participatory approaches and have the courage to adopt them.
Professor Edmund Sonuga Barke
24 June 2025
RE-STAR paper co-authored with Youth Researcher Panel wins British Journal of Psychiatry Editor's Choice Award
The award was announced on Monday 23 June, for the 2024 paper which was co-authored by academics and the RE-STAR project’s Youth Researcher Panel.
The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) Editor’s Choice Award recognises outstanding papers published within the journal. The award is given annually to highlight particularly impactful or innovative research. It is given to ‘outstanding papers’ published in the British Journal of Psychiatry and its sister journals.
The paper in question is from the Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience project, or RE-STAR, titled “Participatory translational science of neurodivergence: model for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism research” and it describes the group’s pioneering new approach to the translational science of neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and ADHD which places the insights and experiences of neurodivergent young people themselves at the very heart of their scientific endeavour.
This collaborative, and person-centred approach has invigorated RE-STAR, allowing academic researchers and neurodivergent young people to work together to stimulate new ideas and hypotheses, develop new methods and collect and explore new interpretation.
The winning paper can be found at:
Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S., Chandler, S., Lukito, S., Kakoulidou, M., Moore, G., Cooper, N., … Pavlopoulou, G. (2024). Participatory translational science of neurodivergence: model for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism research. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 224(4), 127–131. doi:10.1192/bjp.2023.151
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Professor of Developmental Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience