William B. Dobyns, MD, has made major contributions to the field of human genetics, particularly the nature and genetic causes of developmental disorders including mental retardation, autism and brain malformations. As both a medical geneticist and pediatric neurologist, Dr. Dobyns offers a rare combination of expertise. He examines patients with all types of genetic diseases, emphasizing children with complex developmental problems. He has been selected to deliver the Bernard Sachs Award Lecture at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Child Neurology Society in October 2018.

He also offers genetic counseling for families of these children. Dr. Dobyns is a recognized expert on many complex developmental disorders of the brain including mental retardation, autism, birth defects of the cerebellum such as Dandy-Walker malformation, and birth defects of the cerebral hemispheres such as microcephaly and megalencephaly (small and large brain size), lissencephaly or "smooth brain" disorder, and polymicrogyria (pebbled brain surface). He has made significant contributions to the understanding, classification and genetic cause of many different developmental disorders.

Dr. Dobyns recently participated in the October 2016 CNS Annual Meeting as speaker and panelist in Symposium III: Zika Virus: Update for Child Neurologist.