Lisa Capps; UC Berkeley Psychologist

Lisa Margarit Capps, 35, a gifted psychologist at UC Berkeley and the daughter of U.S. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara). Appointed assistant professor of psychology at Berkeley in 1996, Capps’ research helped to dispel myths in the field of autistic disorders. Capps found that people with autism were able to form secure attachments with caretakers, contrary to widespread beliefs that they lacked such bonds. She also discovered levels of social awareness not previously recognized among people with this condition. Born in Santa Barbara, Capps was the daughter of former U.S. Rep. Walter Capps, a professor of religious studies at UC Santa Barbara, who died of a heart attack two years ago, only a few months into his first congressional term. Lisa Capps’ mother, Lois, then replaced the late legislator in Congress. Lisa Capps earned her bachelor’s degree at Stanford, received a PhD in clinical psychology at UCLA and spent a year studying at Oxford. On Monday of lung cancer at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley.