Somer Bishop is a clinical psychologist and professor in residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Weill Institute for Neurosciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Her research and clinical interests focus on the assessment of social-communication and restricted and repetitive behaviors characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how these symptom dimensions are affected by individual and contextual factors across the lifespan. She is interested in developing tools that can be used in both clinical and research settings to assess profiles of social-communicative and other behavioral strengths and challenges across development in varied clinical populations (e.g., ASD, neurogenetic syndromes, intellectual disability, ADHD). Another line of research focuses on promoting psychological health and well-being among neurodiverse adolescents and adults, with a particular focus on understanding the impact of positive and negative social experiences on depressive symptoms.

Bishop’s work has been funded by the NIH, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the United States Department of Defense, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Autism Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation. She has co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and she serves on multiple journal editorial boards and grant review panels. At the UCSF Center for ASDs and NDDs, Bishop participates in comprehensive assessment and treatment of children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. She also directs the autism diagnostic training program at UCSF, which serves as an international hub for training on autism diagnostic tools, conducting trainings on best diagnostic practices for professionals from all over the world.