Dr Dawson was attracted to oncology as a career while she was a medical student and initially considered training in palliative medicine.
However, oncology experience as a junior doctor at the Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow and the Royal Marsden Hospital confirmed that medical oncology was the right choice for her.
She came back to Edinburgh for her specialty training in medical oncology and became a consultant at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre in August 2003.
She specialises in the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre and also has a weekly out-patient clinic at St John's Hospital in Livingston. She has been remotely supporting the NHS Highland oncology service since March 2025, looking after patients with advanced colorectal cancer.
Dr Dawson also has a significant interest in medical education and training and has had a variety of teaching and training roles, most recently including spending 10 years as the Associate Director for Medical Education at the Western General Hospital. She also organised the weekly online NHS Lothian Grand Rounds which became a very useful resource during Covid and subsequently covered a range of topics with speakers from primary to tertiary care and relevant non-NHS organisations.
She was appointed as the Honorary Secretary of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in September 2024.
