Vanessa Bal

Ph.D., University of Michigan

Vanessa H. Bal is the Karmazin and Lillard Chair in Adult Autism and an associate professor in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. Dr. Bal earned her M.Sc. in neuroscience from the University of Oxford and her Ph.D. in psychology (clinical) from the University of Michigan. She also completed her clinical psychology internship at the University of Michigan and a postdoc in human genetics at the University of California, San Francisco. Currently, Dr. Bal is a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of the RCAAS Psychological Services Clinic. She also leads the Lifespan Symptoms, Profiles, Achievements and Needs (LifeSPAN) ASD Lab. Her research aims to advance understanding of autism in adulthood through research spanning three broad domains: 1) defining meaningful achievements and specific needs of autistic adults; 2) characterizing strengths and autism symptom profiles of individuals on the spectrum across development; 3) identifying biological and early-life correlates of clinical phenotypes and later-life achievements. Dr. Bal is currently leading projects to develop and refine methods to assess and quantify behavioral strengths and challenges and develop approaches to address mental health concerns and foster the well-being of autistic adults.