CDS Seminar Series : Dr Richard Cook | Face processing and social anxiety in autism

This seminar is free to attend and is open to all, both within and outside the University. If you wish to attend in person or via Zoom, please register your interest to attend via the Zoom portal using the link above. Zoom details will be shared prior to the event via email.

We are delighted to announce that the Centre for Developmental Science will welcome Dr Richard Cook, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Leeds, to present a hybrid CDS Seminar, taking place on Tuesday 30th July 12:30 -13:30 GMT.

You are welcome to attend either in person at 52 Pritchatts Road, Lecture Theatre 1, Room G16, or online via Zoom. If you wish to attend, please register your interest to attend either in person or online via the Zoom portal using the link above. 

There will be the opportunity for an informal discussion after the seminar itself.

Dr Cook can be contacted via email at r.cook@leeds.ac.uk

To arrange a 1:1 meeting with the speaker, please email Professor Jennifer Cook, j.l.cook@bham.ac.uk

CDS Event Hosts - Professor Jennifer Cook

Face processing and social anxiety in autism

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition associated with differences in social communication, together with focused patterns of behaviours and intensive interests. For a substantial portion of the autistic population these core difficulties are thought to present alongside differences in visual processing. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in how these differences impact the visual analysis and interpretation of faces. In this talk, I will discuss research conducted by our lab that has sought to elucidate the perception of facial expressions and facial identity in autistic participants. I will end by presenting new evidence that face processing differences may contribute to heightened levels of social anxiety seen in the autistic population. 

Speaker Biography

Dr Richard Cook is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Leeds. Richard obtained a PhD in Cognitive & Brain Science from UCL in 2012. His research addresses questions of social vision; i.e., the visual encoding / representation of faces, bodies, expressions, actions, and social interactions. He explores these questions in typical observers, prosopagnosics, and autistic individuals. Richard’s research has been recognised through the award of the Spearman Medal (British Psychological Society), The Wiley Prize in Psychology (British Academy), The Elizabeth Warrington Prize (British Neuropsychological Society), and the EPS Prize Lecture (Experimental Psychology Society). 

This seminar is free to attend and is open to all, both within and outside the University. If you wish to attend in person or via Zoom, please register your interest to attend via the Zoom portal using the link above. Zoom details will be shared prior to the event via email.