Photo caption: ARC Director Professor Laurie McLay and ARC Associate Director Professor Ann-Marie Kennedy, both from the University of Canterbury.
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) has established Aotearoa New Zealand’s first dedicated Autism Research Centre (ARC), bringing together researchers, autistic people, families and partner organisations to shape the future of autism research and practice and enhance the health and wellbeing of autistic children and adults in Aotearoa.
Hosted at UC, the ARC is a cross-institutional collaboration that includes researchers from around the country and is supported by the Autistic Partnership-Aotearoa New Zealand (AP-NZ). The AP-NZ is an advisory group made up of autistic professionals, parents, advocates and community leaders, and it plays a central role in shaping the ARC’s research priorities and ensuring their work directly reflects the needs and aspirations of autistic people.
The Centre grew out of strong existing collaborations among autism researchers nationwide. ARC’s Director, Professor Laurie McLay from UC’s Faculty of Health, says “many of us were already working closely together, but I saw the need for a dedicated platform to strengthen those partnerships, amplify research impact and ensure autistic voices guide every stage of the research process”.
The Centre’s first major event will be held on 1 September 2025, with a symposium held on UC’s Ilam campus. The symposium will bring together speakers from Australia and New Zealand, including researchers from the University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and Auckland University of Technology.
Professor David Trembath, Head of Autism Research at CliniKids, The Kids Research Institute in Australia, will deliver the keynote speech. With more than 25 years as a speech pathologist, he has dedicated his career to improving outcomes for autistic people and their families. His address, ‘This Changes Everything’, will explore how the ARC can reshape autism research and enhance its impact.
Professor McLay says, “The ARC is about inclusion, reciprocity and respect—recognising that research should not be confined to academia but belong to the community it serves”.
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