[1] She was Professor of History in the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies at the University of Melbourne for most of her career, and retains a fractional appointment.
[5] She was appointed as Professor of History in 2004 and held positions of leadership within the University of Melbourne, including Associate Dean Research in the Faculty of Arts, Pro Vice Chancellor Research and also as the inaugural Head of the School of Historical Studies.
[3] From 2014 to 2015, she was also a member of the ARC Research Evaluation Committee Humanities and creative arts.
[6][16] She was the 2015 Fred Alexander Fellow in History at the University of Western Australia,[17] and is a holder of the Kathleen Fitzpatrick Fellowship for "outstanding female researchers in humanities, arts and social sciences".
[19] Damousi was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of her "significant service to social sciences and the humanities, to history, and to tertiary education.