Frith to speak on explanations for social impairments and autism

February 3, 2006

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute will host Uta Frith, professor of cognitive development at the University College London, on Wednesday, February 8, at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento, as the fifth speaker in its fourth annual Distinguished Lecturer Series. Frith will speak twice: She will provide a technical presentation at 4 p.m. and a community-interest presentation at 6 p.m.

During her technical presentation, Frith will discuss how the inability to attribute mental states to other people may explain various social impairments seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Her community-interest lecture will examine contributions that cognitive theories can make to understanding both autism and what it means to have autistic disorders. Both presentations are free and open to the public; no reservations are needed.

Frith is an internationally recognized expert on autism spectrum disorders. She and her research collaborators have shown that individuals with autism have a biological defect that affects their minds. Frith is deputy director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. Her book Autism, Explaining the Enigma has been translated into 10 languages and successfully conveys the result of basic research to a wide readership, including parents and clinicians. She was one of the initiators of an Asperger’s syndrome study in the United Kingdom, where her work on reading development, spelling and dyslexia has been highly influential. A prolific speaker and writer, Frith has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers, including the highly influential paper “Autism: beyond ‘theory of mind.’” Her many honors include four honorary doctorates, election to the British Psychological Society, Academia Europaea, British Academy, Academy of Medical Sciences and Royal Society, and receipt of the President’s Award of the British Psychological Soceity and the Jean Louis Signoret Prize of the Ipsen Foundation for Neuropsychology.

Frith is the fifth of nine distinguished lecturers in the M.I.N.D. Institute’s 2005-06 series. Upcoming speakers are Sally and Bennett Shaywitz, Yale University (Mar. 8, visit co-sponsored by the UC Davis School of Education), Jan Buitelaar, University Medical Center St. Radboud, Netherlands (Apr. 12), Charles Nelson, Harvard University (May 10), and Gary Mesibov, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (June 14).

The Distinguished Lecturer Series is funded in part by the SBC Foundation. For more information about this and future lectures, visit the M.I.N.D. Institute Web site at www.mindinstitute.org or call (916) 703-0280.

The UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute is a unique collaborative center for research into the causes and treatments of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, fragile X syndrome and learning disabilities.