Lotta Borg Skoglund – highly regarded for her expertise as well as her pioneering work in the field, will challenge the misconceptions around ADHD in women and girls when she delivers the annual Salvesen Lecture in Scotland’s capital this autumn at the University of Edinburgh.

Lotta Borg Skoglund says: “Most of what is known about the challenges of living with a neurodiverse brain comes from research conducted around boys and men. Neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, ADD and autism are less likely to be diagnosed and treated in females, due to a difference in symptom display, comorbidity, and societal gender expectations.

Hosted by the Salvesen Mindroom Centre in collaboration with The Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh – a longstanding partnership that seeks to combine research and practical approaches to improve the lives of neurodivergent people and their families – the lecture is open to the general public both in person and online.

The free-to-attend event will examine how ADHD symptoms in women aren’t hidden but instead misinterpreted. Lotta will highlight the knowledge gaps in ADHD for women and girls across and beyond the reproductive lifespan and look at what actions need to be taken.

Lotta Borg Skoglund is a senior consultant physician trained in general medicine and psychiatry and an associate professor in psychiatry at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health at Uppsala University and the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at Karolinska Institutet.

She is a leading expert on female ADHD and autism and believes that, to decrease stigma, relieve suffering and improve the outcomes in girls and women with ADHD, a better understanding is needed of the underlying mechanisms causing their lives to be an uphill struggle from early childhood and across their lifespan.

Her lecture will be followed by a live panel discussion on the points raised.

Alan Thornburrow, CEO of Salvesen Mindroom Centre said: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to hear from an internationally acknowledged expert, to learn about the neuroscience and epidemiology behind female ADHD and to hear how we can address the gaps in knowledge to improve life for women and girls experiencing this condition which can impact lives so significantly.
We’re delighted Lotta has agreed to deliver this, our sixth, annual Salvesen Lecture.”

Susan Davidson, Research and Outreach Co-ordinator for Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre continued: “We are incredibly proud to be presenting and hosting such an important event. We need to raise awareness around how symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders are so often misdiagnosed in females.

We have an opportunity to enhance understanding, promote action and, in turn, have a significant positive impact for neurodivergent people and their families. We are looking forward to welcoming as many people as possible to join us, either in person or online, for this exciting event.”

The Salvesen Lecture takes place between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 at The Birch Lecture Theatre, The Nucleus Building, University of Edinburgh. For more information and to book a place in-person visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/salvesen-lecture-2024-associate-professor-lotta-borg-skoglund-tickets-968994738347

To join online visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/salvesen-lecture-2024-online-associate-professor-lotta-borg-skoglund-tickets-970603821157?aff=oddtdtcreator

For more information on Salvesen Mindroom Centre go to https://www.mindroom.org/