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Spectrum: Autism Research News

Celebrating women
in autism science

For this year’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, Spectrum is highlighting 31 women making a mark on autism research. The following photographs show these scientists in the lab and beyond the bench, and include links to profiles that explore their work and their lives in greater depth.
by  /  10 February 2023
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Photograph by Jeff Singer

Vanessa Bal

Karmazin & Lillard Chair in Adult Autism at Rutgers University
Read more: Rising star: Vanessa Bal traverses fine work-life balance

Photograph by Saverio Truglia

Elizabeth Berry-Kravis

Professor of child neurology at Rush University Medical Center
Read more: Elizabeth Berry-Kravis: Running a marathon for fragile X syndrome

Photograph by Dennis Burnett

Audrey Brumback

Assistant professor of neurology and pediatrics at the University of Texas at Austin
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Audrey Brumback

Photograph by Jason Grow

Karen Chenausky

Assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions
Read more: Beyond the bench: Mastering meaningful movement with Karen Chenausky

Photograph courtesy of Columbia University

Wendy Chung

Professor of pediatrics and medicine at Columbia University
Read more: Wendy Chung: Genetic sleuth is advocate for families

Photograph by John Francis Peters

Hollis Cline

Professor of neuroscience at the Scripps Research Institute
Read more: Hollis Cline: Leapfrogging over gaps in autism research

Photograph by Matthew Rakola

Gül Dölen

Associate professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University
Read more: In deep water with Gül Dölen

Photograph by Elena Zhukova

Lisa Croen

Director of the Kaiser Permanente Autism Research Program
Read more: Lisa Croen: Autism’s first dedicated epidemiologist

Photograph by Benedicte Brocard

Mayada Elsabbagh

Associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Mayada Elsabbagh

Photograph by John Francis Peters

Lilia Iakoucheva

Associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Lilia Iakoucheva

Photograph by Amanda Friedman

Shafali Jeste

Chief of neurology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Read more: Shafali Jeste: Early autism meets its match

Photograph by Saverio Truglia

Ann Kennedy

Assistant professor of neuroscience at Northwestern University
Read more: Rising star: Ann Kennedy bridges gap between biology, computational theory

Photograph by José Mandojana

Catherine Lord

Professor of psychiatry and education at the University of California, Los Angeles
Read more: Cathy Lord: Setting standards for autism diagnosis

Photograph by Elena Zhukova

Georgia Panagiotakos

Sandler Faculty Fellow in biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Georgia Panagiotakos

Photograph by Rajah Bose

Lucia Peixoto

Assistant professor of translational medicine and physiology at Washington State University
Read more: Rising star: Lucia Peixoto, breaking down the interplay between sleep and autism

Photograph by Stephen Voss

Gabriela Rosenblau

Assistant professor of cognitive neuroscience at George Washington University
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Gabriela Rosenblau

Photograph by Justin Knight

Rebecca Saxe

Professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Read more: Rebecca Saxe: Fine tuning the theory of mind

Photograph by Colin Lenton

Lindsay Shea

Director of the Policy and Analytics Center at the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Lindsay Shea

Photograph by Douglas Adesko

Jill Silverman

Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of California, Davis MIND Institute
Read more: Beyond the bench: Finding solitude with Jill Silverman

Photograph courtesy of Sam Ogden / Whitehead Institute

Hazel Sive

Dean of the College of Science at Northeastern University
Read more: Hazel Sive: A fish tale

Photograph by Jennifer Silverman

Kristin Sohl

Professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of Missouri
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Kristin Sohl

Photograph by Kathy Plunkett

Holly Stessman

Assistant professor of pharmacology and neuroscience at Creighton University
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Holly Stessman

Photograph by Ian MacLellan

Beth Stevens

Associate professor of neurology at Harvard University
Read more: Beth Stevens: Casting immune cells as brain sculptors

Photograph by M. Scott Brauer

Elise Robinson

Assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard University
Read more: Elise Robinson: Untangling the roots of cause and effect

Photograph by David Fox

Helen Tager-Flusberg

Director of the Center for Autism Research Excellence at Boston University
Read more: Helen Tager-Flusberg: Decoding the language of autism

Photograph by Douglas Adesko

Constantina Theofanopoulou

Associate research professor at Hunter College; visiting associate professor at Rockefeller University
Read more: Beyond the bench: Learning new moves with dancer-scientist Constantina Theofanopoulou

Photograph by Alexandra Hootnick

Judy Van de Water

Professor of medicine at the University of California, Davis
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Judy Van de Water

Photograph by Cayce Clifford

Helen Willsey

Assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco
Read more: How Helen Willsey broke new ground, frogs in hand

Photograph by Tessa Posthuma de Boer

Tonya White

Associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Erasmus University
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Tonya White

Photograph by Rob Larson

Waganesh Zeleke

Associate professor of counseling, psychology and special education at Duquesne University
Read more: Beyond the bench: A conversation with Waganesh Zeleke

Photograph by Felix Sanchez

Huda Zoghbi

Professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine
Read more: Huda Zoghbi: Taking genetic inquiry to the next level

Cite this article: https://doi.org/10.53053/FPTO5603