Headshot of Mary Doherty.

Mary Doherty

Consultant anaesthetist
Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, Ireland

Mary Doherty is an autistic consultant anesthesiologist based in Ireland, an honorary clinical research fellow at Brighton & Sussex Medical School in the United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. student at London South Bank University. She is also the mother of two neurodivergent young people.

Doherty is founder of Autistic Doctors International and Autistic Med Students, both dedicated to peer support, advocacy, research and training. She has been involved with biomedical autism research for several years, as a member of the AIMS-2-Trials Autism Representatives Steering Committee and more recently the Participatory Research Advisory Committee for the RESPECT 4 Neurodevelopment Network.

Her research interests include health care for autistic adults and the experiences of autistic medical students and doctors. Her doctoral research focuses on the experiences and perspectives of autistic psychiatrists.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Illustration of a binocular view of a hilly path leading towards a temple.

Amid funding uncertainty, graduate neuroscience programs in the U.S. adapt

The Transmitter surveyed 50 graduate program directors to learn how they’re faring. Securing labs for new students is one of the greatest concerns.

By Emily Singer
9 November 2026 | 15 min read
Illustration of a pillar in the shape of a question mark.

The changing nature of the neuroscience Ph.D.

The best science can only be sustained by a steady influx of early-stage scientists and the innovative ideas they bring, says Diane Lipscombe. She reflects on the loss of international students, the value of training grants, and the challenges that lie ahead for graduate education.

By Emily Singer
9 November 2026 | 7 min read
Illustration of marble bust with pixels taken out of it.

Rethinking neuroscience graduate education in the age of AI

What knowledge from traditional training protocols needs to be maintained, what can be discarded, and what new types of training should be introduced? Six neuroscientists weigh in.

By Mark Goldman
9 November 2026 | 17 min read