ADHD Beyond the Label – Episode 5 – Professor Dan Nicolau

In this thought-provoking episode of ADHD: Beyond the Label, we’re joined by Professor Dan — a physician, engineer, and mathematician whose research uses mathematical models to better understand complex biological systems.

Dan brings a unique lens to ADHD, questioning not what’s wrong, but what it’s for. Drawing on evolutionary thinking and systems science, he explores how traits like hyperfocus, impulsivity and sensitivity may have once been vital to human survival — and why they still matter today.

From the challenges of modern education to the language we use to describe neurodivergence, Dan encourages us to move beyond disorder and towards a deeper, more nuanced understanding of difference.

This episode is a compelling reframe of ADHD — one that sees potential where others see pathology.