Catherine Lord

Catherine Lord, PhD

Co-Chair of the Scientific Research Council Child Mind Institute; Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at UCLA; Senior Research Scientist in the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior

Research Gate

About

Dr. Catherine Lord is the George Tarjan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. She is a practicing clinical psychologist whose primary focus is autism and related disorders across the lifespan from toddlers through adulthood. Her research and clinical work are aimed at improving methods of identifying strengths and difficulties in individuals with possible ASD and working with families and individuals to maximize independence and well-being for all concerned. This has involved the development of diagnostic instruments (the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - ADOS, the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised – ADI-R, and the Social Communication Questionnaire-SCQ) that describe individual profiles of skills and weaknesses and carrying out longitudinal studies from age 15 months up to 30 years with the goal of identifying protective and risk factors that influence milestones of progress over the years. A current priority is to develop better ways of measuring changes in social behavior and communication over short periods of time that can be used to monitor progress without bias. Another priority has been to participate in large scale studies where researchers share data about both behavior and neurobiology; this has included the Simons Simplex Collection (a genetics consortium led by geneticists and researchers through the Simons Foundation), ABIDE (an imaging open science group originated out of NYU), and the Healthy Brain Network through the Child Mind Institute as well as numerous clinical trials of different interventions. She is also very interested in graduate training for psychologists and other clinical researchers in ASD and related fields. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Association of Arts and Sciences, as well as a former chair of a National Academy of Sciences committee on the effectiveness of early intervention in ASD, a co-chair of the New York Board of Health committee on ASD and a member of the DSM 5 American Psychiatry Association’s neurodevelopmental disorders committee. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Autism Research. She has over 300 referred journal publications and has been funded by NIH, Autism Speaks, and the Simons Foundation for numerous research grants.

Education and Degree(s)

EDUCATION:   

B.A. Psychology  
University of California- Los Angeles, CA  
1971

Ph.D. Psychology and Social Relations  
Harvard University- Cambridge, MA  
1976  

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 

Distinguished Professor-in-Residence  
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior  
UCLA  
August 15, 2018 – 

Director and Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry  
Center for Autism and the Developing Brain  
New York Presbyterian Hospital   
September 2011-2018  

Director and Distinguished Professor of Psychology  
University of Michigan Autism and Communication Disorder Center (UMACC)  
University of Michigan  
September 2001- August 2011  

Director and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics  
Developmental Disorder Clinic  
University of Chicago  
July 1993-August 2001  

Clinical Director and Professor of Psychiatry 
Greensboro TEACCH Clinic  
University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill  
July 1990-June 1993  

Professor of Pediatrics and Psychological Consultant  
University of Alberta/Glenrose Hospital  
July 1984-June 1990 

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Supervisor, Preschool Programs and Psychology  
Glenrose Hospital/University of Alberta  
July 1982-1984  

Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota  
Institute of Child Development  
August, 1977 – July, 1982  

Staff Psychologist (Part Time)  
Hennepin County Medical Center  
July 1980-June 1981  

Staff Psychologist  
Veteran’s Administration Hospital  
June 1973-August 1974  

Publications

Please see our Research page.

Honors and Awards

LICENSURE:  

New York  
License Number: 018425  
Date Issued: 12/2009  
Expiration Date: 11/2026  

California  
License Number: 31213  
Date Issued: 08/31/2019       
Expiration Date: 08/31/2027  

BOARD CERTIFICATION:   

Clinical Psychology  
American Board of Professional Psychology  
Number: 5501   
Date Issued: 12/2001  
Expiration Date: 12/13/2026  

HONORS AND AWARDS:

  • Bob Smith Award for Research on Assessment from the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53 of the American Psychological Association) 
  • INSAR Lifetime Achievement Award 
  • Edgar A. Doll Lifetime Achievement Award, Division 33, American Psychological Association  
  • Irene Jakab Memorial Award, Western Psychiatric Services, University of Pittsburgh 
  • Founding Fellow of International Society for Autism Research  
  • Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences  
  • Lionel Hersov Distinguished Lecture Award, Association of Child Psychiatry and Psychology and Allied Disciplines  
  • Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Award in Mental Health from the National Academy of Medicine   
  • Eric Schopler Lifetime Achievement Award – UNC TEACCH   
  • Have Dreams 2014 Dream Maker Award   
  • American Psychological Association (APA) Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent  
  • Psychology Lifetime Achievement Award   
  • DeWitt Wallace Senior Scholar, Cornell University   
  • Patricia Buehler Legacy Award for Clinical Innovation (American Academy of   
  • Occupational Therapy)   
  • Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions to Clinical Psychology, Society of Clinical Psychology   
  • Asperger/Kanner Medal, Free University of Berlin
  • Urie Bronfenbrenner Collegiate Professor, University of Michigan,   
  • College of Literature, Science and the Arts   
  • American Psychological Association (APA) Award for Distinguished Contribution to   
  • Applied Research   
  • Fellow, Association for Psychological Science   
  • Emmanuel Miller Distinguished Lecture, Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry (UK)   
  • Distinguished Speaker, Interdisciplinary Studies, Rockefeller University  
  • Michiganian of the Year – Detroit News     
  • Help Group Professional Award   
  • California State Senate Professional Award   
  • Irving B. Harris Early Childhood Award   
  • Blake Marsh Lecture Award, Royal Academy of   Psychiatry (UK)   
  • Max Hutt Honorary Lecture Award (University of Michigan Psychiatry)     
  • Fellow, Society for Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology   
  • Chair, Committee on the Effectiveness of Early Intervention in Autism, National Research Council      
  • Fellow, Society of Clinical Psychology, American Psychological Association   
  • MAAP Cartographer of the Year Award  
  • Illinois Society of Autism Professional Honors        
  • Certificate of Commendation, Autism Society of America       
  • Alberta Heritage Medical Research Scholar   
  • British Council Visiting Scholar   
  • Distinguished Teaching Award, University of Minnesota   
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow      
  • Harvard University Traveling Fellow 
     

Membership and Service

  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences 
  • Professional Advisory Committee, International Society for Autism Research  
  • International Society for Research in Child and Adolescent Psychopathology and Development  
  • American Psychological Association (Divisions 12, 33, 37, 57) 
  • Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)  
  • DSM 5 Autism Committee: DSM 5 Review Committee  
  • International Society for the Study of Behavior Development  
  • Scientific Advisory Committee, the M.I.N.D. Institute, UCDavis  
  • National Academy of Medicine  
  • Scientific Advisory Council, Child Mind Institute