Loisa Bennetto

Loisa Bennetto, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Rochester's School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD). Her research focuses on the neurocognitive bases of autism and other developmental disorders, particularly multisensory processing deficits and their impact on social communication and adaptive functioning. She leads the Bennetto Lab, which investigates topics such as audiovisual speech perception, feeding behaviors in autism, and sensory reactivity.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Denver (1999)
• B.A. in Psychology, Yale University (1988)

Research Interests: Dr. Bennetto’s work explores how atypical neurocognitive development in autism affects social-communication challenges and everyday adaptive behaviors. Current projects include studying multisensory processing in social communication (e.g., speech perception, gesture comprehension) and feeding behaviors (e.g., sensory factors in picky eating). She also examines the intersection of sensory reactivity, stigma, and mental health outcomes in autistic individuals.

Publications Trends: Her recent work emphasizes prosody processing in adolescents with autism, language patterns across conversation partners, and interdisciplinary approaches to sensory dysfunction. Key findings include atypical visual motion prediction and reduced otoacoustic emissions in autism.

Advising & Grants: Dr. Bennetto has mentored numerous graduate students (listed below) and collaborates with researchers in Brain & Cognitive Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, and Pediatrics. Her lab’s projects are supported by grants exploring topics like sensory processing in ASD, personal choice development in adolescents, and the impact of subjective social status on diagnosis timing.

Labs/Teams: The Bennetto Lab collaborates with institutions such as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Washington. Current team members include graduate students (e.g., Christina Layton, Alesia Richardson) and research assistants.