Uta Frith

Uta Frith FRS (b. May 25, 1941) is a leading developmental psychologist working at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London. She has published many papers on autism and dyslexia, as well as several books. Her most well known book is " which provides an introduction to the cognitive neuroscience of autism.

Birth and education

Uta Frith was born on 25th May 1941 in Germany. Her birth name was Uta Aurnhammer. She completed her undergraduate degree in History of Art at the Universitaet des Saarlandes, Saarbruecken but then changed direction to work in Psychology. She trained in clinical psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London and went on to complete her Ph.D. on autism in 1968. [cite journal |journal= Q J Exp Psychol |date=2008 |volume=61 |issue=1 |pages=16–26 |title= Forty years on: Uta Frith's contribution to research on autism and dyslexia, 1966–2006 |author= Bishop DVM |doi=10.1080/17470210701508665 |pmid=18038335 |url=http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/section?content=a787077604&fulltext=713240928]

Work on Autism

Frith's work on theory of mind in autism proposes the idea that people with autism have specific difficulties understanding other people's beliefs and desires. Much of this work was carried out with Simon Baron-Cohen who was Uta's PhD student.

She has also suggested that individuals with autism have 'weak central coherence', and are better than typical individuals at processing details but worse at integrating information from many different sources [cite journal |author= Happé F, Frith U |title= The weak coherence account: detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders |journal= J Autism Dev Disord |date=2006 |volume=36 |issue=1 |pages=5–25 |doi=10.1007/s10803-005-0039-0 |pmid=16450045]

Personal life

Professor Frith is a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the British Academy and a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Her husband Chris Frith is also a leading neuroscientist.

Publications

Dr. Frith's published works include:
* "", Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2003 ISBN 06-31-22901-9
* "Autism - Mind and Brain", Oxford, Oxford University Press 2004 ISBN 01-98-52924-4
* "Autism and Asperger Syndrome", Cambridge, Cambridge University Press 1991 ISBN 05-21-38608-X
* "The Learning Brain: Lessons for Education" (with Sarah-Jayne Blakemore), Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2005 ISBN 14-05-12401-6
* "Urville" (with Gilles Trehin), London, Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2006 ISBN 18-43-10419-9
* "Cognitive Processes in Spelling", London, Academic Press 1983 ISBN 01-22-68662-4
* "Autism in History: The Case of Hugh Blair of Borgue" (with Rab Houston), Oxford, Blackwell Publishing 2000 ISBN 06-31-22088-7

External links

* [http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/dev_group/ufrith/index.htm Uta Frith's personal homepage]
* [http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/Staff-Lists/MemberDetails.php?Title=Prof&FirstName=Uta&LastName=Frith Frith's page at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience]
* [http://www.icn.ucl.ac.uk/Research-Groups/Developmental-Group/ Developmental Group at the ICN]
* [http://www.in-cites.com/scientists/UtaFrith.html Interview with Uta Frith]

References