Laura Nations has been an instrumental team member here at the Autism Center since 2015. She is a true team player as evidenced by the many studies she has contributed to and the many roles that she has served over the years. From aiding in study coordination for the ABC-CT clinical trials, to completing diagnostic assessments on the Marcus studies, COMET, and HERO, Laura’s willingness to pivot and help wherever needed shows her dedication to the Autism Center’s mission and ultimately leads to our success.
While Laura has spent the latter part of her career in the psychological sciences, she once aspired to be a marine biologist. During various college internships, she spent time caring for an octopus and a skunk, as well as participated in dolphin-assisted therapy in the Florida Keys. After completing her Bachelor’s degree from Furman University, and her Master’s degree at East Carolina University she began her career assessing children at Charlotte’s Children’s Developmental Services Agency. Later, she moved into a research career that has taken her from North Carolina, to Miami Florida, and back to North Carolina again where she originally worked at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before trading their light blue in favor of the regal Duke blue she proudly supports today. While she is certainly viewed as a rock star by all who know her here at the Autism Center, she is also an actor and has been an extra on the popular show ‘The West Wing’ twice! So, let us all give a standing ovation to Laura for her outstanding talent and kind heart. Thank you for all that you do!