Disability

The Department of Life Sciences is committed to providing support to all staff and students to ensure they can maximise their potential and progress regardless of any disability. We encourage staff and students to request reasonable adjustments to their work/study environment.

Life Sciences Disability Officers

The Departmental Disability Officers are Linda Giorgi (UG), Tony Southall (PG – South Kensington Campus), Will Pearse (PG – Silwood Park Campus).  

Departmental Disability Officers can help support you with:

  • Specific questions about your course, studies or departmental facilities.
  • Supporting your initial contact with the Disability Advisory Service at Imperial.
  • Difficulties that might arise in the rare event that there is any problem in implementing the Disability Advisory Service’s recommendations.
  • Mitigating circumstances.
  • Applying for additional exam arrangements.

Able@Imperial is a network for staff with both visible and invisible disabilities and their managers as well as all those supportive of disability equality in the workplace. Able@Imperial provide support for disabled staff and their managers and run a supportive grouping for networking, events and informal coffee morning sessions.

Mental health

Looking after our mental health is just as important as taking care of our physical health. As a Department, we recognise that people’s mental health may change over time and we are mindful of creating an environment for work and study which promotes good mental health.

College has about 400 mental health first aiders, who are trained to listen non-judgementallly and guide you to sources of help and support. You can talk to any mental health first aider from anywhere in the College (ask them for a chat in-person, online or via an email). Here is a link to the faculty mental health first aiders and a list of the those in our Department.

Faculty Mental Health First Aiders

Find out more about Mental Health First Aiders in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

Departmental Mental Health First Aiders

 Stephen Connolly (Stephen.connolly@imperial.ac.uk)

Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity covers a range of commonly co-occurring conditions related to processing or cognitive differences. Imperial has a range of resources for both neurodiverse individuals to help them access any support they may need and for managers of neurodivergent staff.

In 2020, the Neurodiversity in Albertopolis network was launched headed by Professor Sara Rankin from Imperial. This network consists of neurodiverse staff and students from across institutions located around Exhibition Road. The network holds events for both neurodiverse individuals and their allies.