{"id":2779,"date":"2026-02-06T09:17:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T09:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/?p=2779"},"modified":"2026-02-06T09:17:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T09:17:34","slug":"nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2782 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Nan-and-Tommaso.png\" alt=\"Nan Fletcher-Lloyd and Tommaso Barba\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt\u2019s important for students to see people\u00a0like them\u00a0further along the career path\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0aiming for\u201d<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Within Imperial\u2019s Department of Brain Sciences, the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/brain-sciences\/about-us\/lgbtq-allies\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">LGBTQ+ Allies\u00a0Network<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> has become a growing source of visibility, connection and support. Nan Fletcher-Lloyd, Research Associate, and Tommaso Barba, PhD student, both share how the network has influenced their journeys at Imperial and why creating this space for staff and students matters.<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Becoming\u00a0part of the\u00a0network<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:261,&quot;335559739&quot;:261,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nan\u2019s journey\u00a0at\u00a0Imperial spans\u00a0nearly a\u00a0decade. She began studying for an\u00a0undergraduate degree, followed by a master\u2019s, PhD, and\u00a0is\u00a0now\u00a0moving\u00a0into a staff role.\u00a0During\u00a0their\u00a0PhD,\u00a0Nan\u00a0discovered the LGBTQIA+ Network in Brain Sciences.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cWhen I joined as an undergraduate\u00a0nearly a\u00a0decade ago, I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know\u00a0many people\u00a0who identified as LGBTQIA+. Coming into my PhD and\u00a0being aware of\u00a0people\u00a0like me\u00a0gave me a sense of hope, comfort, reassurance.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Both Nan and Tommaso joined the network organically through word of mouth, conversations, and a growing awareness of colleagues who shared similar experiences.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe network\u00a0began\u00a0authentically\u00a0with\u00a0Dr Alexi\u00a0Nott,\u00a0who really got the group up and running.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0nice when\u00a0you can just have that openness,\u00a0meet\u00a0people\u00a0and\u00a0make\u00a0connections\u201d\u00a0shares Nan.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For Tommaso, the network has helped\u00a0him\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0fully open at work for the first time:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0been the first time in my life where\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0this open in the professional world.\u00a0That\u2019s\u00a0pretty beautiful.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Both have been actively involved in\u00a0organising\u00a0events for the network. Nan played a key role in helping\u00a0establish\u00a0the network\u2019s first LGBTQ+ Brains Symposium,\u00a0and\u00a0Tommaso helped\u00a0organise\u00a0the LGBTQ+\u00a0Allies\u00a0Psychedelic\u00a0Symposium. Here researchers\u00a0from across the UK\u00a0came together\u00a0to discuss how identity shapes scientific perspectives and scientific careers.\u00a0Tommaso\u2019s\u00a0academic interests connect closely with aspects of identity, relationships, and sexuality:\u00a0\u201cMy sexual identity is one of the reasons why I became interested in psychology when I was younger.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:1,&quot;335551620&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:0,&quot;335559737&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Connecting staff and students<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">While Imperial has\u00a0university\u2011wide networks\u00a0for staff\u00a0such as\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/equality\/staff-networks\/imperial-600\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Imperial 600<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, Nan and Tommaso believe there is something uniquely valuable about a departmental network that brings staff and students together.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Nan reflects on the visibility it creates:\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0important for students to see people\u00a0like them\u00a0further along the career path\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0aiming for. That visibility is\u00a0really important.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tommaso adds that many LGBTQIA+ people grow up without familial role models who share their identity, making community\u2011building crucial.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cAs a minority, you\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0always\u00a0have family continuity. My parents\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0really understand what my life\u00a0will\u00a0be like. Seeing people who share your identity makes you feel more validated and less alone.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Why LGBTQ+ History Month\u00a0matters<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:261,&quot;335559739&quot;:261,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For both, the month serves as an important anchor for\u00a0honouring\u00a0community and history.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt\u2019s really important to celebrate the lives, contributions and achievements of people who paved the way before us and\u00a0to see that we might be different, but we are equal,\u201d\u00a0says Nan.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Tommaso adds that marking history helps build the sense of continuity many LGBTQIA+ people miss growing up.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cKnowing who came before you and what they\u00a0accomplished\u00a0makes you feel part of something.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">How to\u00a0get\u00a0involved<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:261,&quot;335559739&quot;:261,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The network\u00a0remains\u00a0open to staff and students within Brain Sciences. Feel free to contact Nan or Tommaso if you are interested in getting involved. All members of the network are also listed on the website.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Read next\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Discover the\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/brain-sciences\/about-us\/lgbtq-allies\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Department of Brain\u00a0Sciences\u00a0LGBTQ+ Allies Network<\/span><\/a><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Find out more about\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/equality\/events\/lgbtq-history-month\/\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">LGBTQ+ History\u00a0Month at Imperial<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Join\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imperial.ac.uk\/events\/search\/?tags=lgbtq\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">LGBTQ+\u00a0History\u00a0Month events<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559738&quot;:210,&quot;335559739&quot;:210,&quot;335559740&quot;:300}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cIt\u2019s important for students to see people\u00a0like them\u00a0further along the career path\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0aiming for\u201d\u00a0 Within Imperial\u2019s Department of Brain Sciences, the\u00a0LGBTQ+ Allies\u00a0Network has become a growing source of visibility, connection and support. Nan Fletcher-Lloyd, Research Associate, and Tommaso Barba, PhD student, both share how the network has influenced their journeys at Imperial and why creating this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1722,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[294815,89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-research-staff","category-students"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility - Imperial people<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility - Imperial people\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u201cIt\u2019s important for students to see people\u00a0like them\u00a0further along the career path\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0aiming for\u201d\u00a0 Within Imperial\u2019s Department of Brain Sciences, the\u00a0LGBTQ+ Allies\u00a0Network has become a growing source of visibility, connection and support. Nan Fletcher-Lloyd, Research Associate, and Tommaso Barba, PhD student, both share how the network has influenced their journeys at Imperial and why creating this [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Imperial people\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-06T09:17:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Nan-and-Tommaso.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Beth Lloyd\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Beth Lloyd\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Beth Lloyd\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/#\/schema\/person\/f3280e3562a7ecf29fd0b9b254c8de2a\"},\"headline\":\"Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-06T09:17:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\"},\"wordCount\":611,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/files\/2026\/02\/Nan-and-Tommaso.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Research Staff\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/imperial-people\/2026\/02\/06\/nan-and-tommaso-building-community-and-visibility\/\",\"name\":\"Nan and Tommaso: Building community and visibility - 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