Uta Frith


Uta Frith studied experimental psychology at the Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken and trained in clinical psychology at the University of London’s Institute of Psychiatry She completed her Ph.D. thesis on autism in 1968 and from then on has worked as a research scientist funded mainly by the Medical Research Council UK. She has been Visiting Professor at the University of Aarhus, Denmark from 2007-2015. She is now Emeritus Professor of Cognitive Development at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience.
Autism and dyslexia have been her main focus of research. In both fields she has pioneered an experimental neuropsychological approach. She has contributed some of the major theories explaining these disorders and has identified specific deficits in underlying cognitive mechanisms and their basis in the brain. She has published some 250 papers and books, and in 2014 she was listed by the APA as among the 200 most eminent psychologists of the modern era.
In the last few years she has increased her work in science communication, and in championing women in science.

From this contributor

Explore more from The Transmitter

Scans of brains using the OPM-MEG method.

Language development during the first 1,000 days; and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 9 November.

By Jill Adams
10 November 2026 | 2 min read
Illustration of brain with many connecting lines.

What ‘Brain Flows’ gets right

Michael W. Cole’s new book makes a convincing case that the dynamic movement of signals underpins just about everything the brain does, though it misses mention of relevant theoretical and single-cell work.

By Daniel Graham
10 November 2026 | 6 min read
Illustration of a binocular view of a hilly path leading towards a temple.

Amid funding uncertainty, graduate neuroscience programs in the U.S. adapt

The Transmitter surveyed 50 graduate program directors to learn how they’re faring. Securing labs for new students is one of the greatest concerns.

By Emily Singer
9 November 2026 | 15 min read