Professor David Williams

Overview

David Williams is a Professor in the Department of Psychology in the School of Health and Medical Sciences at City St George's, University of London.

David studied Psychology and Philosophy at University of Warwick, before completing his PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London. Early in his career he held research posts at UCL Institute of Child Health and City (now City St George’s), before taking up a Lectureship at Durham University.  Most recently, he was Professor of Psychology at the University of Kent where he worked for 13 years and acted in several leadership roles, including Dean of Kent Business School, Dean of the School of Human and Social Sciences, and Head of the Department of Psychology. 

David’s research focuses on developmental psychology and cognitive development, with a particular emphasis on neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism.  More specifically, his work seeks to understand how people monitor and evaluate their own thinking (metacognition), how they reason about other minds (mindreading), and how these processes shape everyday functioning. He is interested in the role of self-related cognition and memory processes, and how these may differ in neurodevelopmental conditions. His major current focus is on understanding the developmental links between autism and gender diversity.

Research funding (selected)

ESRC (PI), £661k (2022–2026): Markers of Autism & Gender Incongruence in Children (MAGIC)

Leverhulme Trust (Co-I), £298k (2017–2021): Development of Childhood Perfectionism

ESRC (PI), £349k (2015–2019): Metacognition & Mindreading: One System or Two?

Leverhulme Trust (Co-I), £225k (2015–2019): Imagining the Self in Fictional Worlds: Evidence from Autism

ESRC (PI), £99k (2011–2012): Time- & Event-Based Prospective Memory in Autism

Publications by category