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.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Director-colour-FH_0.jpg)
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.
![Adults in a waiting room, a man talks to a nurse or doctor in medical setting](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190724-AdultConvo844.jpg)
How autistic people use compensatory strategies to cope with daily life
Male slant to research may skew autism’s reported sex ratio
Clinicians may need to go beyond the 'masks' to find autism in women.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/20151013VPMaleSlantToResearch-844.jpg)
Male slant to research may skew autism’s reported sex ratio
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.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/images/images-2014/blog2014/20140715bloglornawing-alt.jpg)
Remembering Lorna Wing (1928-2014)
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.
![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/image-archive/images/viewpoint/464566.jpg)
Why fold Asperger syndrome into autism spectrum disorder in the DSM-5?
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New connectomes fly beyond the brain
Researchers are mapping the neurons in Drosophila’s ventral nerve cord, where the central nervous system meets the rest of the body.
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
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![Illustration of researchers talking to laypeople amidst strands of DNA.](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/1200_Charman-1024x687.webp)
Building an autism research registry: Q&A with Tony Charman
A purpose-built database of participants who have shared genomic and behavioral data could give clinical trials a boost, Charman says.
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
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![](https://www.thetransmitter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/paincircuit-1200-1024x692.webp)
Cerebellar circuit may convert expected pain relief into real thing
The newly identified circuit taps into the brain’s opioid system to provide a top-down form of pain relief.