Vanessa H. Bal, PhD

Vanessa H. Bal, PhD, is an associate professor and the Karmazin and Lillard Chair in Adult Autism at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist and co-director of research at the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services. Her LifeSPAN Autism lab research focuses on advancing understanding of autism in adulthood, with specific interests in assessment, diagnosis, characterization of strengths, and adaptation of interventions and supports to address adult mental health concerns and foster well-being. Outside of research, she aims to promote equitable access to services through the provision of graduate and professional training about autism in adulthood.

Dr. Bal earned her MSc in neuroscience from the University of Oxford and her PhD in psychology from the University of Michigan. She completed her clinical psychology internship at the University of Michigan and a postdoc in human genetics in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.