Desiree Jones’ Dissertation Earns International Society for Autism Research Award

Desiree Jones, a University of Maryland President’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychology (PSYC), was recently named a recipient of the International Society for Autism Research’s (INSAR) Dissertation Award. 

Jones’ dissertation—which also received the “Best Dissertation Award” from the University of Texas at Dallas, from which Jones graduated with her Ph.D. in 2023—explores how negative social experiences and stigma impact the mental health of Black and white autistic adults.

“Black autistic adults, who have been historically underrepresented in research, were a primary focus of this study, so this award highlights the importance of including the voices of those who are often overlooked within the autistic community,” said Jones. “I am deeply honored and optimistic that this recognition will draw attention to the social difficulties faced by autistic people, and contribute to more inclusive attitudes within both academia and society as a whole.”

Jones was particularly inspired to pursue this line of research after participating in a 2020 round table discussion—published in the journal Autism in Adulthood—on systemic racism and autism. In the discussion, many of the participating autistic people of color said that they felt they lacked a community, that they had to deal with both racism and ableism, and that current research didn't embody their own experiences as a neurodivergent person of color. 

“I walked away from that conversation feeling very empowered and motivated to explore Black autistic experiences through the lens of my own research, which focuses on peer attitudes and stigma towards autistic adults,” explained Jones.

INSAR has been presenting its dissertation award to between one and three people per year since 2011. Winning dissertations are read and scored by the INSAR Awards Committee—an international panel of experts from multidisciplinary fields across autism research—who then present the proposed awardees to the INSAR Board of Directors for a vote and final approval.

Jones will be presented with her INSAR dissertation award at the society’s annual meeting in Melbourne, Australia on May 16, 2024. She will also give a five-minute presentation of her work during the award ceremony that evening. 

"We're extremely proud of the excellent work that Dr. Jones is doing on this incredibly important topic,” said PSYC Professor and Chair Michael Dougherty. “It's so nice to see this type of work—not to mention the work of a postdoctoral fellow in our Department of Psychology—recognized in this way."

Published on Fri, Mar 8, 2024 - 2:08PM