WEHI welcomed guest speaker Dr Lorien Parker (Dr Loz) to deliver the keynote address celebrating International Women’s Day 2025.

Dr Loz brought her personal experience as a neurodivergent woman working in STEMM to her talk, inviting the audience to “see the whole picture” and challenge their understanding of what being neurodivergent means.

Dr Loz is a neurodivergent (Autistic & ADHD) scientist, educator and STEMM communicator who reimagines science education to be inclusive, accessible, and engaging for all learners.

As the founder of SciencePlay Kids, she creates multi-sensory, hands-on science experiences that celebrate diverse learning styles, making STEMM fun and relatable beyond traditional academic approaches.

She has also been named one of the Australian Financial Review’s “100 Women of Influence”.

In her address, Dr Loz highlighted that an estimated 30 – 40% of students in the classroom are neurodiverse. She emphasised the importance of continuous, open dialogue to break down stigmas about neurodiversity in the broader community.

She also championed the use of accommodations in the workplace and everyday life, noting the role of play in improving quality of life and helping neurodiverse people thrive.

Dr Loz encouraged the audience to ask for the accommodations they need to support them in the workplace, placing the imperative on leaders to build a culture of understanding backed by policy.

“They are not special needs, they are human needs.”

A panel discussion followed the keynote address, with members of WEHI’s Gender Equity Committee and Disability and Neurodiversity Network joining Dr Loz to continue the discussion about navigating the challenges of neurodiversity as individuals, researchers and parents.

WEHI is committed to supporting women in science by implementing policies and initiatives that promote gender equity and inclusion. By addressing barriers to career progression we are working to foster a more inclusive research environment where all women can thrive.

Learn more about our gender equity initiatives.