James Harris

Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

James Harris is professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, where he is founding director of the Developmental Neuropsychiatry Clinic. He is also a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He served on the American Psychiatric Association committee that wrote the new definition of autism spectrum disorder for the DSM-5.

From this contributor

Spectrum from The Transmitter.
Spectrum Microphone

Correcting the record: Leo Kanner and the broad autism phenotype

By James Harris, Joseph Piven
26 April 2016 | 10 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neurons in cerebral organoids containing a MECP2 variant (right panel) have smaller cell bodies and fewer branches than those in wildtype organoids (left panel).
Spectrum

Autism in Kenya, organoid research, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 December.

By Jill Adams
23 December 2025 | 2 min read
Research image of the human dorsal root ganglion.
Peripheral nervous system Microphone

‘Unprecedented’ dorsal root ganglion atlas captures 22 types of human sensory neurons

The atlas also offers up molecular and cellular targets for new pain therapies.

By Calli McMurray
23 December 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of a simple circuit.
Theoretical neuroscience Microphone

Not playing around: Why neuroscience needs toy models

Amid the rise of billion-parameter models, I argue that toy models, with just a few neurons, remain essential—and may be all neuroscience needs.

By Marcus Ghosh
22 December 2025 | 6 min read

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