Dr. Mehreen Fatima is an Assistant Professor of psychology at Azim Premji University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She was awarded a PhD in psychology in 2025 from the University of Delhi, under the supervision of Prof. Nandita Babu, with her doctoral work focusing on the development of empathy in children with autism spectrum disorder. She has also qualified for NTA NET-JRF in Psychology at the 99.82 percentile (June 2019).
Dr Mehreen’s research interests lie at the intersection of developmental and cognitive psychology, with a particular focus on socio-cognitive abilities across neurotypical and neurodivergent populations. She has published in major international journals and has a forthcoming book, Empathy Spectrum: Understanding Connections in a Diverse World, under contract with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. She has presented her research at major international conferences, including the 33rd International Congress of Psychology in Prague, Czech Republic, where she was selected as one of forty Emerging Psychologists by the International Union of Psychological Sciences. She was also selected for the inaugural Emerging Psychologist Programme (2025) by the National Academy of Psychology, India.
As a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Jaswal Lab at the University of Virginia, Dr. Mehreen is investigating communication support practices for non-speaking autistic individuals, with a focus on neurodiversity-affirming approaches. Her research seeks to develop evidence-based frameworks that honor the communicative strengths and preferences of such individuals. She also aims to contribute to the growing body of research that centers autistic perspectives in the design and evaluation of communication interventions.