CHADD Awards
CHADD Lifetime Achievement Award
2024
Thomas E. Brown, PhD
Thomas E. Brown earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Yale University and then served on the clinical faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine for 20 years while operating a clinic in Connecticut for children and adults with ADHD and related problems. In 2017, he relocated to California where he opened his Brown Clinic for Attention and Related Disorders in Manhattan Beach. He has taught continuing medical education courses on ADHD for the American Psychiatric Association for 18 years and has given lectures and workshops in hospitals, medical schools, universities and for professional and advocacy groups throughout the United States and in more than 40 other countries. Dr. Brown is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the University of California Riverside School of Medicine and is an elected Fellow of the American Psychological Association, the APA Division of Psychopharmacology and Substance Abuse, and the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. He has published 30 articles in professional journals and 7 books on ADHD with translations in 12 foreign languages. His 28-minute video on YouTube “What Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?” has received more than 8 million views. His website is www.BrownADHDClinic.com.
CHADD Hall of Fame Award
2024
Jeffrey Katz, PhD
Jeffrey Katz, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Katz specializes in the evaluation and treatment of children, adolescents, and adults with an emphasis on ADHD as well as other behavioral and learning issues.
Dr. Katz has an astute understanding of ADHD and how it is experienced by children, teens and their families. He educates and guides his clients to acknowledge their ADHD, to reduce everyone's frustration, and to become the family they wish to be.
CHADD Young Scientist Research Awards
2024
James Aluri, MD, MA
James Aluri, MD, MA, will be an assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine starting in July 2024. He earned his MD from JHUSOM and obtained a master’s degree in bioethics with distinction from King’s College London, where he was supported by a Wellcome Trust Master’s Award. During medical school, he worked as a research fellow with former president Barack Obama’s Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. After graduating from medical school, he remained at Johns Hopkins for psychiatry residency and a postdoctoral fellowship. Clinically, he works at Johns Hopkins Student Mental Health Services, serving students, residents, and fellows. Under the mentorship of David Goodman, MD, Dr. Aluri developed clinical expertise in treating adults with ADHD, which led to positions on the committee to establish the first US clinical guidelines for treating adult ADHD and on the ADHD services task group at JHU. Dr. Aluri’s research, focusing on ADHD treatment utilization patterns at college campus clinics, has identified limitations in the availability of campus ADHD services. He aims to use his research to identify evidence-based ways to improve student access to high quality ADHD assessment and treatment services at campus clinics, especially for underserved populations.
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Gabrielle Fabrikant-Abzug, MA
Gabrielle ("Gabi") Fabrikant-Abzug, MA, is a graduate student in the clinical psychology program at Arizona State University. Under the mentorship of Lauren Friedman, PhD, assistant professor and director of the Hyperactivity, Executive Function, and Attention Treatment (HEAT) Lab, Fabrikant-Abzug is dedicated to advancing empirical research in the field of ADHD to enhance the well-being of parents and children. She earned her undergraduate degree in psychology with a minor in public health from the University of Southern California and subsequently completed her master’s degree in clinical psychology at Arizona State University. Her research examines the impact of parental psychopathology and parenting behaviors on children's mental health outcomes. As nearly half of children with ADHD have a parent who also meets diagnostic criteria, her recent focus has been on multiplex families, where both parents and children are affected by ADHD symptoms. Fabrikant-Abzug’s current project, submitted for this award and serving as her dissertation work, investigates the mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of ADHD from parents to children. The outcomes of this study will clarify these mechanisms’ contributions to symptom presentation and severity and provide direct translational targets for ADHD intervention. Her long-term goal is to use empirical research to improve existing interventions and better support all families who are affected by ADHD.
CHADD Educator of the Year
2024
Brandi McPherson
The 2024 CHADD Educator of the Year is Brandi McPherson, an elementary educator at Children’s Community School in Van Nuys, California. In her twenty-five years as an educator in both public and independent schools, she has employed innovative, activity based learning strategies tailored to individual learning styles, ensuring engagement and success for students with ADHD. As the parent of a neurodivergent child, she understands the complexities of ADHD firsthand. She offers personalized one-on-one mentoring sessions, develops specialized resources, and collaborates closely with families and therapists to create a supportive environment. She uses her extensive knowledge and experience to guide families through the diagnosis process and provides ongoing support and resources long after their child matriculates. Using progressive education pedagogy as a foundation, she creates interactive, multimedia-rich lessons tailored to diverse learning styles and employs project-based learning to make lessons more appealing and relevant. She integrates hands-on activities and field trips, enhancing real-world learning. Additionally, she uses adaptive technologies and personalized feedback to meet each student's unique needs. Her dedication and innovative teaching methods have led to notable academic and social achievements for her students with ADHD. Students have demonstrated significant improvements in academic performance, particularly in reading, math, and project-based learning activities. Additionally, her emphasis on socialization and character building has helped students with ADHD develop stronger social skills and greater confidence. Parent testimonials and student feedback frequently highlight her positive impact, noting how her personalized support and engaging curriculum have enabled students to thrive both academically and socially.
CHADD Chapter of the Year
2024
Bergen County CHADD
Revitalized just a few years ago, Bergen County CHADD has quickly made an impact in the ADHD community, thanks to the dedicated leadership of psychologist Ellen Schwartz, Ph.D. Under Ellen’s guidance and with the support of an EXCEPTIONAL team, the chapter has experienced significant growth.
The revitalization effort gained momentum when Ellen connected with Andrea Elrom at a talk on executive functioning and mindfulness. At that time, Ellen was managing a small monthly support group and organizing speakers at a local hospital. Andrea’s enthusiasm, combined with the challenges of the pandemic, inspired a push to expand the chapter’s offerings for those living with ADHD.
The chapter’s revamped website now features a robust lineup of programs: a monthly Speaker Series, 3 Parent support groups, an Adult ADHD support group, and Teacher Talks. Recent additions include a weekly Support Group for college students and a Support Group for Orthodox Jewish women with ADHD.
This year, the Speaker Series has featured talks including: All About AuDHD (over 1000 views), The Brain Link between ADHD and Anxiety/Depression, Targeted Supports for Executive Function Weaknesses, in addition to Screen Smart Parenting: Finding Balance and Benefit. The chapter has also participated in various local community events and is reaching out to all 81 school districts in Bergen County to promote its offerings. With over 40 recordings available on our YouTube channel, Bergen County CHADD continues to provide valuable resources and support to those affected by ADHD.
CHADD Volunteer Leader of the Year
2024
Yulia Rafailova
Yulia Rafailova is an ADHD coach and speaker who loves helping people discover their own awareness and design practical solutions to common executive function challenges. She founded MindFull Education in 2017 after a decade of academic consulting with over a thousand students and their families. Her coaching focuses on creating empowering learning experiences for adolescents and their parents through collaboration, creative problem-solving, and mindfulness practices.
In addition to her coaching practice, Yulia serves on the Board of Directors for the award-winning Greater Los Angeles CHADD, where she facilitates a weekly young women’s peer support group and co-facilitates a weekly adult peer group.
Her involvement with CHADD began six years ago when she was seeking support for her own ADHD and anxiety. The education and community she gained from attending meetings and the annual ADHD Conference were transformative, playing a fundamental role in her personal and professional development.