Academic biography

Sinéad McNally is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Early Childhood Education at the Dublin City University Institute of Education.

Sinéad leads the Early Language and Learning Lab group which investigates children's development in early education contexts. In 2022, she received the President's Award for Research Impact for her externally funded research on inclusive early education, including children's play and early reading.

Sinéad is Principal Investigator of the Autism-Friendly Schools Project, a national study of the school experiences of autistic children and young people funded by Research Ireland (formerly the Irish Research Council).

As Editor-in-Chief of the international journal, Active Learning in Higher Education, she advocates for inclusive research and teaching in university and colleges, and she sits on the editorial boards of the International Journal of Early Years Education and the International Journal of Early Childhood. Sinéad is the faculty Co-Chair of the Athena Swan committee on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and a member of the University Steering Committee on Open Research. 

Sinéad is an external examiner for the Technological University of Dublin. E