Programme Lead in Autism and Physical Health at the K. Lisa Yang Centre for Autism Research

The newly created K. Lisa Yang (KLY) Centre for Autism Research at Cambridge seeks to appoint an outstanding Assistant Research Professor (Grade 9) to lead the Autism and Physical Health Programme within the KLY Centre.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an ambitious researcher to establish and develop an internationally recognised programme addressing the significant physical health inequalities experienced by autistic people. Autistic people die, on average, 16 years earlier than non-autistic people and experience elevated rates of physical health conditions across nine organ systems. The programme will investigate the causes of this premature mortality, including genetic and lifestyle risk factors and inequalities in access to healthcare.

Using large-scale epidemiological health records, population cohorts and family-based international datasets, the postholder will lead research to identify risks associated with mortality, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, among autistic people and those with higher numbers of autistic traits, regardless of formal diagnosis. By linking complementary datasets, the programme will investigate how physical health and mortality risks vary by sex, age at diagnosis and biological clusters identified through the Precision in Autism Diagnosis programme.

The programme has a strong translational focus, aiming to prevent avoidable premature death through improved identification of health risks, more effective screening and better access to healthcare. The postholder will work with collaborators, clinicians, policymakers and the autistic community to ensure findings inform policy and practice, while shaping the programme's future direction.

The successful candidate will provide scientific leadership for the Autism and Physical Health Programme and contribute to the wider development of the KLY Centre. They will lead high-quality research, develop competitive grant applications, supervise research staff, build national and international collaborations, and support the translation of findings into policy and healthcare improvements. Applicants should have: (1) a PhD in a relevant discipline; (2) a strong track record of internationally recognised research in autism, physical health, health inequalities, epidemiology or population health; (3) an excellent publication record appropriate to career stage; (4) evidence of obtaining or substantially contributing to external research funding; and (5) strong quantitative, methodological and analytical skills.

Experience of leading research using health records, population cohorts, linked administrative data, family-based datasets or other large-scale health data is essential. Experience of interdisciplinary collaboration, community engagement, and translating research findings into health policy or clinical practice is desirable.

The K. Lisa Yang Centre for Autism Research at Cambridge is part of the global Yang Tan Collective, alongside sister centres at Harvard and MIT. The Centre is closely linked to the Autism Research Centre (ARC) in Cambridge (see www.autismresearchcentre.com) and contributes to a collaborative international effort to accelerate discovery and translation in autism research.

Please submit a CV (including a full publication list), a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role, a research vision statement (maximum three pages) describing your plans for the Autism and Physical Health Research Programme over the next five years, and contact details for two academic referees. Applications close at midnight on 18 October 2026. For further information, contact Professor Simon Baron-Cohen at sb205@cam.ac.uk.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 5 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above. 

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

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