 Dawson is William Cleland Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Director, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development at Duke University Medical Center.Dawson is Past-President of the International Society for Autism Research, a scientific and professional organization devoted to advancing knowledge about autism spectrum disorders.From 2008–2013, Dawson was Research Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was Chief Science Officer for Autism Speaks.