Rena Shrestha

Dr. Rena Shrestha is a clinician-researcher with 15+ years of experience supporting children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences (NDDs) and their families. She is Co-Principal Investigator and Research Team Director for NAMASTE at AutismCare Nepal Society, leading research, programs, and partnerships across autism and neurodevelopmental care pathways, community engagement, and capacity-building. She holds a PhD in Psychological Sciences from La Trobe University, under the Australia Awards, with a focus on community-based early identification of autism. She also led the Nepali translation and adaptation of the WHO Caregiver Skills Training to expand support for caregivers of children with NDDs. She is passionate about participatory, inclusive, and translational research and promoting the well-being of neurodiverse children and families.