NDMU Psychology Professor Honored Globally for Her Research and Advocacy for Black Youth with Disabilities
Dr. Nicole Telfer Wins Awards Recognizing Her Work from Black Health Connect Foundation and The Maryland Daily Record
BALTIMORE, Md. – A Notre Dame of Maryland University psychology professor and research lab director has received global recognition for her research and advocacy for Black families of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities with a 40 Under 40 Award from the Black Health Connect Foundation. She was also named a winner of The Maryland Daily Record’s Leading Women Under 40 Award.
Dr. Nicole Telfer leads the Racial Equity and Liberation (REAL) Lab at NDMU to conduct research examining the challenges facing Black youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities and the barriers their families experience in finding support. Since joining NDMU and starting the lab in 2024, she has involved students in her research that highlights systemic inequities affecting Black neurodivergent youth, mentoring students on all aspects of the research process. In addition to her research at NDMU, she is a global advocate for families and a local volunteer with youth-focused programs.
Black Health Connect Foundation’s annual 40 Under 40 Awards recognize 40 healthcare trailblazers under 40 whose work is transforming the future of healthcare. The foundation received more than 400 nominations from across the globe for this year’s awards. The Daily Record’s Leading Women Awards celebrate women who are 40 years old or younger for their outstanding career achievements, community involvement, and commitment to inspiring change.
“It’s humbling to be recognized for the work that I do, but it is also of reminder of the necessity of the work,” said Dr. Telfer. “I do not do this work for me – I do it for and with the communities I seek to serve. My research has always been community based. With the Black Health Connect Foundation award, it is especially humbling to be honored among other health and medical professionals, recognizing that the work that I am doing as a developmental psychologist, researcher, educator, and family advocate is equally important and necessary if we want communities to thrive.”
Dr. Telfer’s REAL Lab began in 2024 with a $227,000 grant from the Brady Education Foundation and a $10,000 grant from the Life Course Translational Research Network: Center for Healthier Children, Families, and Communities at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The lab has produced research that is gaining recognition on a global stage. Dr. Telfer has presented research at the International Society for Autism Research’s 2026 Annual Meeting and at the 2026 Annual International Convention of The Association of Black Psychologists. Dr. Telfer’s research was also published in the latest issue of the peer-reviewed Developmental Disabilities Network Journal.
Dr. Telfer is looking to expand the lab’s reach with additional opportunities to engage with professionals and families around the world. She has already established partnerships for global engagement. In spring 2026, she led a workshop for teachers, school counselors, guidance counselors, and parents at the Old Harbour Primary School in Clarendon, Jamaica, focusing on best practices to support neurodivergent youth and their families.
Locally, she has provided practical guidance and additional support to Black families of autistic youth with a five-week workshop hosted by the Fostering Advocacy, Communication, Empowerment, and Support (FACES). She also volunteers with pre-teen girls to promote self-expression, health and well-being, and professional development through Girls on Fire Mentoring and Youth Programs of Maryland.
With all her research, student mentorship, and community engagement, Dr. Telfer brings her passion for supporting marginalized communities. Her motivation comes from a personal place.
“I definitely bring my personal experience into my work with families of neurodivergent youth,” she said. “I also think about members of my own family and the challenges that they face in the education system when it came to advocacy or receiving a diagnosis because of cultural and racial barriers or socioeconomic status. I think of all the other families that are experiencing these same challenges. They motivate me to continue to do this work, so hopefully, it will get better for them. That looks like having a justice-centered approach to delivering equitable and accessible care to all people.”
Established in 1895, Notre Dame of Maryland University (NDMU) is a private, Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, with the mission to educate leaders to transform the world. Notre Dame has been named one of the best “Regional Universities North” by U.S. News & World Report.
