Center News

Originally from Virginia, Abby Scheer spent her childhood nestled in the scenic mountains of Roanoke, where the Blue Ridge Parkway sparked a lifelong love of nature and tranquility. Summers and holidays brought her to North Carolina, where she connected with her Chapel Hill and Pinehurst roots—developing a taste for North Carolina peaches and a strong work ethic from time spent on her family’s farm.

“Nothing about us without us”—a refrain often heard in autism and disability communities—reflects the notion that, to effectively meet the needs of these communities, members of these communities must be invited to participate in and help inform research and policies.

You're Invited - Duke Women's Soccer is dedicating their home game on October 30 to the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development! Join the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development to enjoy a game and share our mission of helping autistic people reach their fullest potential throughout their lives. Women’s Soccer: Duke vs Clemson

Originally from the scenic town of Black Mountain in Western North Carolina, Elias Peters brings a thoughtful and curious spirit to his work at the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. Elias earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UNC-Chapel Hill, with minors in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science. After college, he worked in scientific consulting for clinical trials, reviewing neurocognitive assessments. Though the work was meaningful, Elias felt drawn to academic research and made the leap—traveling, editing academic manuscripts, and eventually finding his way to Duke.

Ushering in the second season of Beyond the Endpoint, Lauren Franz, MBChB, MPH, interim director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, joins Manesh Patel and Emily O'Brien for an in-depth conversation about autism research, care, and community.

Doctors sometimes use a binary “yes or no” classification to predict a long-term diagnosis using patient records, but this model doesn’t work well when patients stop coming in for visits, leaving incomplete data.

Raghav Swaminathan has been a valued member of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development since 2017. A Durham native, Raghav attended Pace Academy in Carrboro before completing a certificate program in Integrated Community Studies at Clemson University.

Faculty from the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development led the initiative with funding from an Office of Faculty Advancement Seed Grant: Increasing Neurodiversity Competency of Faculty at Duke University.  Center for Autism team members included Geraldine Dawson, PhD, Tara Chandrasekhar, MD, and Marika Coffman, PhD with collaboration from Minna Ng, PhD, in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience.

This enlightening Raise the Line episode with host Lindsey Smith is loaded with the latest understandings about Autism Spectrum Disorder, including advancements in early diagnosis aided by artificial intelligence that include a smartphone app parents can use at home. Dr. Geraldine Dawson, founding director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development also shares advancements in early therapeutic interventions and explains what has contributed to a near tripling of diagnoses over the past two decades.

Anna Laakman, MEd, was awarded the Karen C. Wells, PhD Professionalism Award for the outstanding professionalism, ethics, and compassion she demonstrated as a 2024-2025 Duke clinical psychology doctoral intern, where she focused on autism.