Prof Simon Baron-CohenAcademic

Biography

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Trinity College. He founded and directs the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge, which he established in 1997, and has published over 780 peer-reviewed scientific articles on autism, cognitive sex differences, and synaesthesia. He chaired the NICE guidelines on autism in adults and created the first UK clinic for adults with suspected autism in 1999, which has assisted over 1,000 patients in obtaining a diagnosis. He is known for arguing publicly that NHS diagnostic waiting times for autism are unacceptably long and that autistic people are routinely denied basic health, social care, and employment rights. He received a knighthood in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to autism, was awarded the MRC Millennium Medal in 2023, and received the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in Psychology.

References

1. 1.Professor Simon Baron-Cohen | Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge — Current role title, organisation, ARC founding date, publication count, NICE guideline chairmanship, fellowship details
2. 2.Simon Baron-Cohen | NIHR ARC East of England — Role as NIHR Senior Investigator, first UK adult autism clinic (1999), Wellcome Trust PI, knighthood
3. 3.New Year Honours 2021 | University of Cambridge — Knighthood for services to autism research and autistic people; Vice President of National Autistic Society; NICE guideline chair
4. 4.Simon Baron-Cohen wins MRC Millennium Medal | University of Cambridge — MRC Millennium Medal 2023 award and rationale
5. 5.2026 Grawemeyer Psychology Award Winner | University of Louisville News

Expertise

Cited on

• Learning disability & autism
• Mental health

Stated areas of expertise

• Autism diagnosis and NHS waiting times
• Neurodiversity and autistic rights
• Prenatal biology of autism
• Mental health and suicidality in autistic people
• NICE guidelines implementation
• Social care access for autistic adults

Notable achievements

• Received the MRC Millennium Medal 2023 – the highest personal award for medical researchers in the UK – for his research into the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism, establishment of the ARC, and work in public understanding of neurodiversity. Source ↗
• Knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours for services to autism and autistic people. Source ↗
• Created the first UK clinic for adults with suspected autism in 1999, which has helped over 1,000 patients to have their disability recognised. Source ↗
• Chaired the NICE autism guidelines for adults and was founding co-editor-in-chief of the journal Molecular Autism. Source ↗
• Awarded the 2026 Grawemeyer Award in Psychology, described as carrying Nobel Prize-level prestige, for pioneering research into the prenatal sex steroid theory of autism. Source ↗

What they’ve said

• “Screening for possible neurodivergence will allow more informed legal decision-making, taking into account cognitive and communicative differences. It can also help ensure defendants get access to legal protection and appropriate counsel.”

  director of the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge · Learning disability & autism · 27 Aug 2026 · Half of people recently arrested by Met police may have undiagnosed ADHD, study finds ↗

• “Some of those terms were very easily misunderstood and so I do regret that. It can lead to simplistic headlines like 'autistic people lack empathy', which is not true.”

  Professor of Autism Research at University of Cambridge, overseeing the K Lisa Yang Centre for Autism Research · Learning disability & autism · 27 Aug 2026 · Pioneer of ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism now says phrase unhelpful ↗

• “He was being subjected to relentless scrutiny, including ridicule, discrediting absolutely every detail of his life, and he wasn't coping with… he felt he couldn't go on.”

  Psychologist, Autism Research Centre at Cambridge University · Learning disability & autism · 27 Aug 2026 · Cambridge autism expert claims ‘bullying’ of Jason Arday was relentless ↗

• “We should see what we learn from it. This is the whole purpose of investigations.”

  Arday's friend and former colleague · Mental health · 27 Aug 2026 ·

Source references

1. Half of people recently arrested by Met police may have undiagnosed ADHD, study findstheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
2. Pioneer of ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism now says phrase unhelpfultheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026
3. Cambridge autism expert claims ‘bullying’ of Jason Arday was relentlessobserver.co.uk · 27 Aug 2026
4. Cambridge University defends its mental health support for Jason Ardaytheguardian.com · 27 Aug 2026

Contact & links

• Xhttps://x.com/sbaroncohen
• Staff pagehttps://www.psychiatry.cam.ac.uk/staff/professor-simon-baron-cohen
• Websitehttps://www.autismresearchcentre.com/people/simon-baron-cohen/

Organisational contact points only, each taken from a page the organisation publishes itself. No personal or direct contact details are held or shown.