Dr Natasha Spassiani
| Post Nominals | PhD, SEDA, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Honorary Advanced Research Fellow at NHS, Lead of the Knowledge to Action Research Group in Intellectual Disabilities |
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| Biography | Dr. Spassiani received their B.Sc. (Hons.) and M.Sc. from York University in Kinesiology and Health Science. Dr. Spassiani received their Ph.D. (2015) in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago, an internationally renowned institution in the field of Disability Studies. After completing their Ph.D., Dr. Spassiani was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto in the Department of Psychiatry jointly with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health where they examined the stigma, discrimination, and social oppression that people with disabilities experience when accessing health systems. In October 2015, Dr. Spassiani became Assistant Professor in Inclusion and Disability at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in the School of Education. During their time at TCD, they were appointed as the Director of the Trinity Center for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), formally known as the National Institute for Intellectual Disabilities, a TCD institute dedicated to the advancement of research and education for people with intellectual disabilities. In November 2016, Dr. Spassiani began a tenure-track appointment at Edinburgh Napier University in the School of Health and Social Care as a Lecturer and Researcher in Intellectual Disabilities, where they were hired due to their Disability Studies background and community-based research approach. In 2022, Dr. Spassiani was appointed as research lead for The Knowledge to Action Research Group in Intellectual Disabilities, where they lead a team of interdisciplinary researchers and clinicians who study health and disability. Dr. Spassiani's educational and professional background in Disability Studies and health bring a unique perspective in how they examine and engage in disability and health discourses through a rights and empowerment approach. Dr. Spassiani's research is dedicated to examining the interplay between disability and inclusion as it pertains to health systems, community engagement, and education using a socio-cultural lens to examine disability. |
| Research Interests | Dr. Spassiani's research program is dedicated to understanding the interplay of disability, health systems, community, and education using a biopsychosocial model perspective, which critically examines factors (i.e., health, cultural, political, economic) that directly impact the lived experiences of individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is well documented that people with intellectual disabilities experience poor health outcomes due to ableist notions of disability that discriminate against people with disabilities and violate their human rights to access equitable health care, education, and citizenship. Dr. Spassiani's contributions to the area of inclusion, health and social equity and disability to date have been: 1) Critically examining social determinants of health (e.g., housing, health care services, unemployment, education, etc.) and the impacts of these disparities on the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. 2) Investigating how to improve health equity in unscheduled/emergency service settings for people with intellectual disabilities. 3) Critically examining how to make clinical practice inclusive and accessible to people with intellectual disabilities. 4) Examining the stigma around disability, including how it negatively impacts the health and social care systems and the quality-of-care people with intellectual disabilities receive. 5) Exploring community-based initiatives to improve community participation and health for individuals with intellectual disabilities living in the community. Throughout Dr. Spassiani's research, they utilize participatory action methods to empower and meaningfully include people with disabilities in co-production and dissemination of knowledge. Dr. Spassiani's research adopts both community-based participatory and knowledge to action paradigms such that people with disabilities are active contributing members in the research process. Dr. Spassiani's research utilizes methods, such as incorporating multi-methodologies, including photovoice, nominal group technique, interviews, and participant observation, to ensure the voices of all people are heard. These methods allow them to analyze data alongside people with disabilities in a manner that is accessible to them, allowing my research findings to be strengthened, transparent, and interpreted correctly. |
| Teaching and Learning | Dr. Spassiani's teaching philosophy integrates theory, research, and experiential education as key components of the learning process. They strive to help students to develop critical thinking skills to build on their knowledge about disability and health. Dr. Spassiani aims to foster learning and critical thinking skills in their students, by striving to create an environment that is safe, where students feel comfortable and are encouraged to ask questions and express their opinions, interpretations, and personal beliefs through providing a learning atmosphere that is welcoming, yet academically rigorous. Dr. Spassiani's broad professional experience and interests in disability studies, participatory action research, knowledge translation and health allows them to effectively teach multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary courses. Dr. Spassiani has developed and taught on 33 modules since becoming a lecturer. They have taught over 1500 students during their academic career on a variety of different topics including, research methods, theories in nursing, health promotion, human rights, change in healthcare management, and healthcare systems at the undergraduate and graduate level. Notably, while at Trinity College Dublin, Dr. Spassiani lead the development of the first ever formally accredited university programme for people with intellectual disabilities globally. This transformative curriculum, entitled The Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice (ASIAP), is an accredited level 5 major award in line with the National Framework of Qualifications consisting of 22 courses. This new university course provides students with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to engage in an academic program that is adapted to their learning ability. The curriculum is embedded in universal design principles that offers students with intellectual disabilities a high academic standard of learning. A curriculum to this standard had yet to be offered in third-level institutions for students with intellectual disabilities. The innovative interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with a combination of disciplinary expertise and the learning of a broad range of critical skills that will prepare graduates to work adaptively in diverse settings. The curriculum design promotes flexibility in course structure to ensure students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning strengths while still maintaining academic rigor; promoting the development of key skills through multidisciplinary modules, such as critical thinking, problem-recognition, problem-solving, adaptability and communication; facilitating a comprehensive evaluation of learning objectives for each course by providing modes of assessment that are non-traditional; and engaging with employers to ensure the course curriculum is addressing contemporary work practices. This accredited programme has gained global attention and is seen as the gold standard curriculum for universities to follow when developing programmes for students with intellectual disabilities. |
| Scopus Author ID | Spassiani, Natasha A. |
| PhD Supervision Availability | Yes |
| PhD Topics | Dr. Spassiani's dissertation research explored the barriers and facilitators involved in implementing evidence-based community-based health initiatives for adults aging with intellectual disabilities living in group homes managed by non-profit intellectua |