William Mandy is professor of clinical psychology at University College London. He tweets @WillClinPsy.

William Mandy
Senior Lecturer
University College London
From this contributor
In DSM-5, guidance on girls with autism is short but savvy
The DSM-5 acknowledges how gender shapes autism more than any previous diagnostic manual has, but it’s time to fold in a few new findings.

In DSM-5, guidance on girls with autism is short but savvy
To partner with autism community, welcome dissenting opinions
Giving the autism community a voice in research means engaging in meaningful dialogue, not just making token gestures.

To partner with autism community, welcome dissenting opinions
Women with autism hide complex struggles behind masks
A new study shows that women with autism are continually misunderstood, work to camouflage their true selves and face a high risk of sexual abuse.

Women with autism hide complex struggles behind masks
Book review: Meet one person with autism
Taken at face value, a new translated memoir by a child with severe autism suggests that our official consensus needs a rethink, writes clinical psychologist William Mandy.
DSM-5 may better serve girls with autism
The newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders overtly acknowledges that females with autism may have features that differ from those of males with the disorder, says William Mandy.
Explore more from The Transmitter
INSAR takes ‘intentional break’ from annual summer webinar series
The International Society for Autism Research cited a need to “thoughtfully reimagine” its popular online program before resuming it in 2026.

INSAR takes ‘intentional break’ from annual summer webinar series
The International Society for Autism Research cited a need to “thoughtfully reimagine” its popular online program before resuming it in 2026.
Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.

Null and Noteworthy: Neurons tracking sequences don’t fire in order
Instead, neurons encode the position of sequential items in working memory based on when they fire during ongoing brain wave oscillations—a finding that challenges a long-standing theory.
How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.

How to teach this paper: ‘Neurotoxic reactive astrocytes are induced by activated microglia,’ by Liddelow et al. (2017)
Shane Liddelow and his collaborators identified the factors that transform astrocytes from their helpful to harmful form. Their work is a great choice if you want to teach students about glial cell types, cell culture, gene expression or protein measurement.