Dr Rashmi Becker

Former PhD Student, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group at Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge

Share

Former PhD Student, Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.

With over 20 years’ experience as a communications and public affairs professional, Rashmi has worked in London, Brussels and Dubai and in a range of areas including healthcare, education, the UK government and European Union. Rashmi has advised senior executives and ministers and helped organisations such as the Department for Education and Employment, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the European Parliament and Commission and one of the world’s largest science and health research charities the Wellcome Trust to develop and implement strategies that engage people to make informed decisions and bring about positive change.

As an Executive Director and Strategic Advisor for leading UK learning disability and autism charities, Rashmi helped develop relationships with stakeholders such as policy makers, disability groups, carers and the media to improve understanding of the needs and aspirations of disabled people in order to enable them to achieve their potential. This led Rashmi to complete her PhD in Psychiatry in the School of Clinical Medicine at the University of Cambridge, where her research focused on the role of frontline care workers in delivering government policy. This research was funded by the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England. Rashmi also holds an MPhil in Education from the University of Cambridge, and wrote her thesis on autism education.

Alongside her policy and communications work, Rashmi is a keen sportsperson and advocate of the benefits of physical activity on health and wellbeing. She is Board member of Sport England, and former Board member of Activity Alliance. She is also the founder of Step Change Studios, which supports disabled people to be active through dance.

Rashmi has received a number of accolades for her work including ‘Outstanding Contribution to Innovation’ at the National Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards in 2016. She is guardian to her older brother who has Autism and has inspired much of her work in the field of disability.