Our Research Team
Chief Investigator

Dr. Kate Cooper
Kate is a Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor at University College London.
Her research aims to improve well-being and address mental health problems in autistic individuals, particularly adolescents and young adults. She is interested in how social identity mechanisms can be harnessed to improve well-being in autistic people.
Research Assistant
Tara Ward
Tara is a Research Assistant and PhD Student at University College London.
Her PhD research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between well-being, self-esteem, and autism social identity in autistic adolescents.
Co-Investigator

Prof. Will Mandy
Will is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Neurodevelopmental Conditions at University College London.
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Will is a clinically-oriented academic, whose research and teaching activity is mostly aimed at helping autistic people live more enjoyable and fulfilling lives.
Co-Investigator
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Prof. Ailsa Russell
Ailsa is a Clinical Psychologist and a Professor at the University of Bath. She is also the Director of the Centre for Applied Autism Research.
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Ailsa is interested in research that seeks to understand mental health problems co-occuring with autism, and how best to adapt cognitive behavioural interventions to meet the needs of autistic people.
Co-Investigator
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Prof. Laura G. E. Smith
Laura is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Bath, and Co-Director of the Bath Institute for Digital Security and Behaviour.
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As a Social Psychologist, Laura is interested in how social, political, and digital contexts influence people's behaviour. She has also published research on social identity, including social identity processes in autism.
​Our Autistic Collaborators
Profiles coming soon...