Meet Cynthia Johnson, PhD, New Director of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism

Highly regarded autism researcher and University of Florida professor Cynthia Johnson, PhD, is the new Director of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism, effective June 1.

Dr. Johnson will oversee 125 staff members and provide strategic leadership to expand clinical, education and research programs at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism. With more than 20 years of experience in the field, Dr. Johnson previously served as Director of the Autism Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and was an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Johnson as our new director of Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism,” says Rita Pappas, MD, Interim Chair of Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “Dr. Johnson has been at the forefront of advancing innovative research to improve therapies for autism spectrum disorders. We look forward to the fresh vision and leadership she brings to our autism research program and the center as a whole.”

Dr. Johnson earned her doctoral degree from the University of South Carolina. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in child psychology from John Hopkins School of Medicine. She is a licensed psychologist and a board-certified behavior analyst-doctoral level.

Dr. Johnson has been awarded numerous grants. In her research, she focuses on evaluating behavioral and medication treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders. She has led studies funded by National Institute of Mental Health, Health Services and Resources Administration, Autism Speaks and private foundations. She was recently awarded a large grant funded by the Department of Defense to conduct a clinical trial on a sleep intervention.

“It is a privilege to join the strong team at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Center for Autism,” says Dr. Johnson. “I look forward to continuing the advancement of the clinical, education and research mission of the center.”