Welcome to the 2025 IoPPN Research Festival Podcast! In this first episode, we hear from Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, a leading expert in developmental psychology at King’s College London. He introduces RE-STAR—a four-year, interdisciplinary research programme.

RE-STAR stands for Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience. It focuses on neurodivergent young people, such as those with ADHD or autistic traits, who are at higher risk of developing depression during adolescence.

Right now, we don’t fully understand:

• Who is most at risk,

• What factors increase that risk,

• Or the best ways to build resilience and reduce it.

RE-STAR aims to fill these gaps by studying how ADHD and/or autism traits, environmental stress, and emotional responses interact to shape the risk of depression in neurodivergent young people.

00:00 #IOPPN 2025 - Edmund Sonuga-Barke

00:11 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:07 The Intriguing Title: ReSTAR

01:54 The Paradox of Translational Science

02:37 Philosophy of Science and Paradigms

03:05 Paradigm Flipping in Neurodevelopmental Research

03:05 The Shift to a Neurodiversity Model

03:26 Multidisciplinary and Participatory Approach

04:52 Challenges and Tensions in Multidisciplinary Research

06:19 Trust and Scaffolding in Research

09:05 Emotional Burden Concept

10:19 Developing School-Based Interventions

11:17 Digital Pathways and Whole School Interventions

13:17 Arts Practice in Interventions

14:10 Future Directions and Funding

15:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The IoPPN Research Festival takes place in London on 14th May 2025. Free tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ioppn-research-festival-bridging-disciplines-brain-to-behaviour-tickets-1289530092219

Find out more about the RE-STAR programme: Regulating Emotions – Strengthening Adolescent Resilience https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/re-star

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