James McPartland, PhD

James McPartland, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in assessing and supporting children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities.

McPartland focuses on helping families understand and manage conditions that affect social communication and development. He provides comprehensive evaluations and using a variety of approaches, including brain activity measurements and behavioral assessments, to better understand how children with autism process information and interact with others.

As the Harris Professor in the Child Study Center at Yale School of Medicine, McPartland conducts research that seeks to uncover the brain foundations of neurodevelopmental conditions like autism. He has led studies exploring how children with autism perceive faces and use eye contact, which can help identify autism early—even before clear behavioral symptoms emerge. He also develops tools to measure social and communication abilities in real-life situations, aiming to improve early detection and intervention for families.

McPartland leads a national research effort to develop reliable biomarkers, or measurable indicators in the body, that can be used in autism research and therapy trials. His goal is to create practical, biology-based methods for identifying and treating these conditions to improve the quality of life for children and their caregivers.

McPartland completed his doctoral degree at the University of Washington, followed by internship and fellowship training at Yale Child Study Center. His work has been recognized with major honors, including the Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Autism Research, the Klerman Prize for Exceptional Clinical Research from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, and election as a Fellow by the Association for Psychological Science.