Dr. Samantha Dawson is an Associate Professor in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of British Columbia. Since 2009, her research program has focused on identifying mechanisms contributing to sexual function in individuals and couples, with the goal of using these mechanisms to develop targeted interventions for sexual dysfunction. Her clinical interests include evidence-based interventions for sexual dysfunction. Dr. Dawson is also a Registered Clinical Psychologist.

Research interests include cognitive and affective factors underlying sexual function and dysfunction in individuals and couples. Dr. Dawson’s research program involves experimental laboratory-based research using various sexual psychophysiological measures (e.g., eye tracking, genital plethysmography), as well as more ecologically-valid daily experience and longitudinal methodologies.

For a full list, visit Dr. Dawson’s Google Scholar profile

• Outstanding Early Career Contribution Award, Canadian Sex Research Forum (2024)
• Scholar Award, CIHR Increasing capacity for Maternal and Paediatric Clinical Trials (IMPaCT) (2024)
• Early Career Award, Canadian National Perinatal Research Meeting (2023)
• President’s New Researcher Award, Canadian Psychological Association (2023)
• Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar Award (2021-2026)
• Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) (2019-2020)
• IWK Health Centre Postdoctoral Fellowship (2019-2020)
• Sciences Outstanding Thesis, School of Graduate Studies, Queen’s University (2019)
• The Andrew McGhie Prize in Psychology, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University (2019)
• The James Inglis Prize, Department of Psychology, Queen’s University (2019)
• Certificate of Academic Excellence Doctoral Thesis, Canadian Psychological Association (2018)
• Best Student Manuscript Award, International Academy of Sex Research (2018)
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2016)
• Ontario Trillium Scholarship (2012-2016)
• M.Sc. Medal of Merit, University of Lethbridge (2013)
• Certificate of Academic Excellence Masters Thesis, Canadian Psychological Association (2012)
• Certificate of Academic Excellence, Honours Thesis, Canadian Psychological Association (2010)