Francesca Happé

Francesca Gabrielle Elizabeth Happé (born 1967) is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London.

Her research concerns autism spectrum conditions, specifically the understanding social cognitive processes in these conditions.

Happé has stated that her grandfather worked as a scientist for Technicolor, and "made some real innovations" and that her parents always encouraged her to "ask questions".

Happé read Experimental Psychology at Corpus Christi College, Oxford in the mid-1980s and was inspired about autism by the lectures she attended as an undergraduate.

Through her tutor she was able to join a research project led by Neil O'Connor and Beate Hermelin about autism during a summer vacation.

She planned to take a PhD at Oxford, but was directed to meet Uta Frith.

This led to a change in the course of her life so that she studied for a PhD related to autism at University College, London University supervised by Frith and supported by a Medical Research Council Studentship at the Cognitive Development Unit.

From 1991 to 1995 Happé worked at the MRC Cognitive Development Unit, before spending a year at the Department of Psychology and Aphasia Research College, Boston College in the USA.

Since 1995, she has been employed at the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, first as Senior Scientist in Cognitive Psychology (1996-2000), then Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience (2000-2008) and finally Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience since 2008.

She has several editorial roles, including joint Editor for Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (2000-2006), editorial board member of Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (2001-2010) and Mind and Language.

Happé was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to the study of autism.

Happe is the author or co-author of over 205 research publications, as well as books on autism for general readers, students, parents and professionals that include:

Her scientific publications include:

She is also the creator of a series of children's science books entitled My Mum's a Scientist.

Happé has appeared in TV and radio programmes and written for the media.

This includes BBC QED and Horizon, radio interviews for BBC World Service, BBC and American Broadcasting Company as well as print media such as The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, la Repubblica and New Scientist.

She was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary in the 4Learning Living Science series entitled A Living Mind, which was accompanied by curriculum materials for 11 to 14 years olds.

In October 2012 she became Director of the MRC SGDP Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience.

Her work explores how people with autism understand the world.

Two significant parts are the discovery that people with autism and their neurotypical relatives may have increased attention to detail and that women and men experience autism differently.

She is also interested in their mental health and the consequences of aging.

She has used a wide range of methods to demonstrate these aspects, including studies of twins, genetics, the effects of strokes and functional imaging methods as well as traditional psychological approaches.

Her work has been funded by the Wellcome Trust, MRC, Economic and Social Research Council and Autism Speaks.

Happé has been President (2013–15) and a Board Member (2012–16) of the International Society for Autism Research, and she has been a member of the National Autistic Society's "Autism in Maturity" Advisory Group since 2011.

From 2013 - 2015 she was President of the International Society for Autism Research.

She was a guest on The Life Scientific on BBC Radio 4 in September 2020.