Sara joined the Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Science at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience as a postdoctoral research associate on the The Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) in September 2025, following the completion of her PhD in Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Barcelona (Spain). Her research focuses on autism and mental health, with a particular emphasis on the identification and validation of physiological and cognitive biomarkers, including heart rate variability, eye-tracking, pupillary responses, and EEG measures, to better understand how differences in physiological arousal are linked to mental health and wellbeing in autistic individuals.

Research Interests

• Autism spectrum conditions across the lifespan
• Mental health and wellbeing in autistic individuals (e.g., anxiety, depression, eating disorders)
• Identification and validation of biomarkers in autism, including physiological and neurocognitive indicators

Expertise and Public Engagement 

Sara contributes to professional and public engagement activities at both national and international levels. She is the coordinator of the Eating Disorders and Autism working group within AETAPI (the Spanish Association of Autism Professionals), where she collaborates with clinicians and researchers and is involved in ongoing work in this area, including delivering workshops and contributing to the development of clinical guidelines.