At Duke University, Dr Franz is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Global Health. She is Interim Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, an interdisciplinary research and clinical center serving autistic individuals and their families. Dr Franz is a Board-Certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and her research focuses on improving access to evidence-based autism services in the United States and globally. Dr Franz has served as PI, co-PI, and co-I on NIH funded grants. She has extensive experience in administration of and research including developmental assessments and evidence-based early autism intervention. She also have expertise in implementation science. In the NICHD-funded Duke Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) program, Dr Franz leads the Dissemination and Outreach Core, which disseminates research findings to and ensures robust bi-directional communication with the scientific, provider, and autism communities. As lead the Dissemination and Outreach Core, she also oversees the Plan for Enhancing Diverse Perspectives, which includes neurodiverse perspectives, and supports the career development of trainees, particularly those from under-represented backgrounds, in autism research. Dr Franz has a track record of mentoring multi-disciplinary and multi-level trainees including graduate students, post-doctoral students, and early career faculty.

PODCASTS:

• Listen to the Autism Weekly Podcast: The Incredible Impact of Early Intervention with Dr. Lauren Franz
• Evolutionary Parenting Podcast: Ep. 63: How do we reconcile early intervention for Autism with neurodiversity?