Dr. Sally Whelan

Dr. Sally Whelan has dedicated many years to nursing in both hospital and community settings across the UK and Ireland. She holds a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Science with Health Visiting, an MSc in Social Sciences, an MA in Nurse Education, and a PhD in Nursing. Her doctoral research focused on the role of assistive technologies in promoting the resilience and well-being of people with dementia.

Sally has a deep-seated interest in autism and currently works as a Research Fellow at ICAN. In this role, she coordinates the Irish branch of the GEMMA project and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate students engaged in research within ICAN. Her research is driven by a commitment to understanding how the gut microbiome influences the well-being of autistic individuals, as well as exploring the potential of assistive technologies to enhance quality of life.

In 2024, with the support of a PPI Ignite seed funding grant, Sally established the Autism ICAN PPI group, which plays a vital role informing the ICAN research agenda and processes.

​

For further information click here. Researchgate link click here.