Francesca Happé’s research in cognitive neuroscience focuses specifically on autism and investigation of related typical and atypical developmental processes, particularly as they relate to social cognition.
Francesca Happé
Professor, King's College London
From this contributor
How autistic people use compensatory strategies to cope with daily life
In a large survey, autistic adults from around the world described their experiences of using psychological strategies to fit in.
How autistic people use compensatory strategies to cope with daily life
By
Francesca Happé, Lucy Anne Livingston, The Conversation
26 July 2019 | 4 min read
Male slant to research may skew autism’s reported sex ratio
Clinicians may need to go beyond the 'masks' to find autism in women.
Male slant to research may skew autism’s reported sex ratio
By
Francesca Happé
19 October 2015 | 6 min read
Remembering Lorna Wing (1928-2014)
Lorna Wing, who died in June, was the modest, kind and thoughtful mother of a daughter with severe autism. She was also a towering figure in the history of autism research, and her contributions to our understanding of autism cannot be overestimated.
Remembering Lorna Wing (1928-2014)
By
Francesca Happé, Simon Baron-Cohen
15 July 2014 | 7 min read
Why fold Asperger syndrome into autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5?
In the new diagnostic manual for psychiatric disorders, Asperger syndrome will be folded into autism spectrum disorder. Francesca Happé, a member of the committee that made the recommendation, explains the rationale behind the decision.
Why fold Asperger syndrome into autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5?
By
Francesca Happé
29 March 2011 | 8 min read
Explore more from The Transmitter
Fly database secures funding for another year, but future remains in flux
The FlyBase team’s fundraising efforts have proven successful in the short term, but restoration of its federal grant remains uncertain.
Fly database secures funding for another year, but future remains in flux
The FlyBase team’s fundraising efforts have proven successful in the short term, but restoration of its federal grant remains uncertain.
By
Calli McMurray
17 October 2025 | 3 min read
Diving in with Nachum Ulanovsky
With an eye toward realism, the neuroscientist, who has a new study about bats out today, creates microcosms of the natural world to understand animal behavior.
Diving in with Nachum Ulanovsky
With an eye toward realism, the neuroscientist, who has a new study about bats out today, creates microcosms of the natural world to understand animal behavior.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
16 October 2025 | 14 min listen
Gene-activity map of developing brain reveals new clues about autism’s sex bias
Boys and girls may be vulnerable to different genetic changes, which could help explain why the condition is more common in boys despite linked variants appearing more often in girls.
Gene-activity map of developing brain reveals new clues about autism’s sex bias
Boys and girls may be vulnerable to different genetic changes, which could help explain why the condition is more common in boys despite linked variants appearing more often in girls.
By
Giorgia Guglielmi
16 October 2025 | 6 min listen