The Dyslexic Scientist – Dr Douglas B Sims PhD

Dr Douglas B Sims is a Las Vegas-based speaker and author who talks about dyslexia, ADHD and the long route through education that many dyslexic people take. His talks are aimed at students, educators, STEM programmes, universities, leadership events and organisations working on inclusion — audiences who need to hear, from someone who has lived it, that difficulty with reading and writing in school says little about a person's capacity for science, scholarship or leadership.

The story at the centre of his work is his own. Dr Sims was told as a young person that he would not succeed academically, and went on to earn a PhD in environmental soil science, work as a professor, serve as an academic dean of science and lead an organisation as chief executive. In 2023 the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas gave him its Outstanding Alumni Award. He sets out that journey in his book Wired Differently: The Dyslexic Scientist, which covers the barriers he met in education, his own self-doubt, the adaptive strategies he built, and the part that a few people who believed in him played along the way.

In talks he uses humour and candour rather than a motivational formula, and his central message is that dyslexic and ADHD learners are not broken but wired differently. Typical themes include rethinking what intelligence looks like, navigating educational barriers, building resilience and turning hard-won coping strategies into strengths. He is a practical choice for a school, college or STEM event that wants a scientist rather than a professional motivational speaker, or for an employer network that wants a leader's view of neurodivergence at work. Fees and booking formats are not published, so organisers should get in touch to discuss an event.