Building a NeuroInclusive Lab
Posted on Friday 3 July 2026
The persistent beeps of fume hood alarms when the sashes are raised too high. The relentless, rhythmic hum of vacuum pumps and ventilation systems. The tight, sweaty pressure of disposable gloves.
These are just a few examples of the many sources of sensory stimuli in chemistry labs which can combine to cause discomfort, stress, and impaired cognitive function.
Fostering neuroinclusive labs requires intentional shifts in both culture and our physical environments. Julia Sarju explores these in a recent Nature Reviews Chemistry article and outlines how we can transition from a ‘standardized’ to a ‘neuroinclusive’ laboratory.
Notes to editors:
This work has been published in Nature Reviews Chemistry. Read the view-only version here: https://rdcu.be/foF6g