MGH Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD

11/24/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Kandel for receiving the AACAP Beatrix A. Hamburg, MD, Award for the Best New Research Poster by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Resident! This award recognizes the author of the best new research poster presented at the AACAP Annual Meeting.

At AACAP’s annual conference in Chicago, Dr. Kandel presented her research on the prevalence and identity patterns of Gender Variance in Clinically Referred Individuals with Autism. Through her research, Dr. Kandel found that gender variance (GV) was significantly more prevalent in autistic adults compared with those diagnosed with ADHD, with rates more than fivefold higher. These findings suggest age- and sex-related influences on GV expression in autism and highlight the need for deeper longitudinal research to understand these patterns.

Congratulations again, Dr. Kandel on receiving this prestigious award!

09/16/2022

We are studying children of parents with ADHD and we are looking for volunteers! In this research study we want to learn more about the development of ADHD in children ages 4-8 whose parents either have been diagnosed with ADHD or do not have a diagnosis of ADHD. If you have a child between the ages of 4-8, they may qualify for this study even if you don't have ADHD! There is an optional MRI brain scan at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is compensated $100. To learn more, please see the graphic below and email Maria Iorini at miorini@mgh.harvard.edu, or call 617-743-6617.

06/21/2021

We would like to congratulate Dr. Joseph Biederman on being awarded the 2021 World Federation of ADHD Gold Medal Award for Lifetime contributions to the field of ADHD. Dr. Biederman is the Director of The Alan and Lorraine Bressler Clinical and Research Program for Autism Spectrum Disorders, as well as Chief of the Clinical and Research Programs in Pediatric Psychopharmacology and Adult ADHD.

This award is a culmination of 40 years of tireless work in advancing ADHD as a valid neurobiological disorder, and a testament to the thousands of lives he has impacted throughout his career. Dr. Biederman has authored and co-authored over 800 scientific articles, and is in the top 1% of citations for researchers worldwide.

Congratulations on this well-deserved award, Dr. Biederman!

06/04/2020

We are deeply saddened by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others who did not reach the media’s attention. In these uncertain times, we stand in solidarity with Massachusetts General Hospital and the greater Boston community against racism and prejudice against Black people. As written by Angela Davis, “But there’s a message there for everyone and it is that people can unite, that democracy from below can challenge oligarchy, that imprisoned migrants can be freed, that fascism can be overcome, and that equality is emancipatory.”

We would like to offer our support to those in need and remind all that there is power in acknowledging feelings of fear, sadness, anxiety, and anger. The MGH Program in Pediatric Psychopharmacolofy and Adult ADHD remains open and will continue to commit itself to equal treatment for all who seek care no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, or religion.

05/12/2020

Even as we continue to work remotely and implement social distancing, staff from our department are volunteering for redeployment to assist in MGH’s efforts to combat COVID-19. Two of our own Pediatric Psychopharmacology clinical research coordinators, Nina Dallenbach and Tamar Kaminski, have been redeployed to assist in the new system of distribution of N95 respirator masks, which places color-coded stickers on employee ID badges.

“Returning to the hospital during this time has been an eye-opening and inspiring opportunity. With much of the workforce performing their duties from home, the once-bustling halls feel surprisingly quiet. Despite the change in atmosphere, clinicians and other frontline staff continue to go about their daily routines, happily stopping by our ‘stickering’ table to receive their assigned sticker and a snack. We are grateful that we remain in good health and are able to return to MGH and provide support to the frontline healthcare workers in their fight against COVID-19.”

05/05/2020

Allison Green, another of our wonderful clinical research coordinators, reminds us that keeping in touch with friends and family can provide us with valuable support and priceless memories:

“I have been fortunate during this quarantine to reconnect with my extended family. We scheduled a virtual get-together every Sunday night. Aunts, uncles, and offspring announce a weekly Cousin Challenge and each meeting includes an Award Ceremony for the prior week’s winner. Last week, we had to build a couch fort (in the photo). The week before that, we decorated cookies - or in my case, banana bread! Our next challenge is to create bouquets (of anything) to honor our moms for Mother’s Day. Calling into the family zoom and seeing all the amazing submissions from relatives in Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Maine, North Carolina, and Colorado reminds me that even though we are far in distance, we are close in heart!”

04/28/2020

This week, Abby Farrell, one of our incredible clinical research coordinators, is sharing her secret to quarantine success: Exercise! According to Abby,the routine and goal-setting provided by a regular exercise regimen can do wonders for the mind during this stressful time:

“One thing I am grateful for during this complicated time is that spring is arriving and we have the opportunity to get outside! My favorite stress relief activity is to go on a run every day. Getting out for a run has been a great way to clear my mind and not think about everything going on in the world for just a little while. One aspect of going for a run that has been particularly beneficial for me is having something productive to focus on. Each time I go out on a run, I try to run a little faster or a little farther than I did the day before. So far in the past 3 weeks, I’ve set 4 new personal records! I still have a lot to look forward to and improve on, but these little victories have been so helpful creating moments of joy in an otherwise chaotic time.”

04/21/2020

This week, we will continue our Staff in Quarantine series with some thoughts from our Research Regulatory Coordinator, Haley Driscoll. Her blurb was brought to you by her four-legged assistants, Archie and Ollie:

“During this unprecedented and unpredictable time, I have started to rely strongly on the people and things that make me the happiest. I am thankful that my family does not live far and I was able to temporarily move in with them as we continue to work from home. This has allowed me to both receive and provide support to the people that mean the most to me. My friends and I have also set up weekly video calls to stay in touch and bring some laughter to this difficult time. In addition to my human support, I am also very fortunate to have support from my canine friends. My family has four dogs and they all bring me happiness and allow me to stay in the moment as they are so blissfully unaware of everything that is going on. As seen below, both Ollie the Shih Tzu and Archie the French Bulldog participate in our team meetings and like to think they are making significant contributions. As the pandemic continues, I will look to continue my virtual social connections, get outside and enjoy the fresh air, and turn to the dogs anytime I need a smile.”

04/10/2020

We encourage everyone to check out this interview with Dr. Luana Marques - a practicing psychiatrist here at MGH, an associate professor of psychology at Harvard, and the president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA). Dr. Marques went on CBS “Face the Nation” Sunday to share some healthy coping skills and discuss how to deal with anxiety in this global crisis. She had some great advice to share:

Dr. Luana Marques discusses best practices for average Americans and health care workers in dealing with stresses of coronavirus and quarantine.

04/07/2020

We are kicking off our series of stories with some excellent advice from Dr. Ronna Fried:

Growing up my psychotherapist Aunt Ruth always espoused her method of helping clients by telling them they should do something in each of the following areas daily: 1) Social; 2) Physical; 3) Intellectual; 4) Spiritual and 5) Practical. I had never realized the value of this structure until the last few weeks where one could live in Ground Hog's Day and get immersed in anxiety and hopelessness without any structure so every day I attempt to follow these guidelines. I have also added some areas.

1.SOCIAL: Besides all the texting and emailing to catch up with close family and friends, I make one phone call daily sometimes to someone who I know is probably alone and lonely or sometimes to someone whom I have not spoken to for a long time. I had forgotten how different actual voice calling can be in communication

2.PHYSICAL: with the gym closed, I have sought workouts on Youtube or other sites and do at least one 30-minute workout each day either weights (using laundry detergent for the weight for squats) or yoga or pilates. In addition, I have taken a 10,000 step walk each day to some part of town that is not very crowded so I can respect social distancing

3.INTELLECTUAL: I have been able to work remotely which is part of my intellectual stimulation, but if one does not have work there a number of ways to enhance this aspect. Helping a child (yours or someone else) on a school project - I just helped write a paper with my grandson on the Flint Water Crisis so read a lot about that. I also do the Spelling Bee of the New York Times (I am not very good at crossword puzzles but I can do this puzzle). Having someone to compete with (I have my sister) can make it more motivating.

4.SPIRITUAL: I have always had a more global definition of spirituality so that it may or may not include religion so meditating (mindfulness) with an app from my iPhone or spending time realizing how much larger the world is and how some of the activities I can no longer do (restaurants; hairdresser) are really a small part of life and to take stock of areas in which I am lucky. Just taking a breath and looking at the buds coming out and realizing spring is coming feels spiritual to me. Music is another way to relax in a spiritual way. Of course, this week many of us have one religious holiday or another to also spend time thinking about or preparing for in a totally new way.

5. PRACTICAL: This has been a time to list all those jobs around the house or in my office that have needed updating or cleaning. Drawers, closets or files can be worked on (even a little each day) and making sure to sanitize everything that comes in from the outside including grocery stores can take time.

6.MIND DIVERSION: Watching television shows (for me binging on Hunters, The Sinner, and The Spy) have been great escapes. I always end the night with a half-hour comedy to assist with sleep( Frankie &Gracie; Kominsky Method; Curb Your Enthusiasm: Modern Family; Schitt's Creek to name a few), I have also started playing Rummikub with my husband which can be both cognitive and diversion.

7.CREATIVE: I am not a very artsy person, but for those who are, making masks from cloth (as my son did ) or doing drawing can be a great way to spend time. For me, my creativity has been in trying new things to cook and being more creative in the kitchen has been a good way to spend time.

05/29/2019

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Biederman has been awarded as the inaugural incumbent of the MGH Trustees Endowed Chair in Pediatric Psychopharmacology. Such an endowment will have crucial importance in ensuring that the work that Dr. Biederman started nearly four decades ago will continue and that our program will always have at the helm a clinician-scientist of the highest caliber. Through this enduring resource, our mission to unravel the biological mechanisms of ADHD, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and other illnesses that threaten children's trajectories in life will be supported, and efforts to identify biomarkers for risk and develop new and ever more effective treatments to improve quality of life for patients here and elsewhere will be pursued.

04/26/2019

Children around us are playing video games four times more than they did a decade ago. There are concerns about effects of video games on emotional health of our children. Some researchers, politicians and members of public believe that certain types of game content are associated with aggression and violence, or academic problems among youth. Some see video games as potentially addictive. Health problems, such as obesity and sleep deficits among US youth, are often linked to video game play.

Existing research reveals that the circumstances of video game play may even be more important than its content in mediating their effects on psychological well-being of a child. Therefore, in addition to analyzing what content each game features, we should also consider the characteristics of the video game play: Where, when, how long and with whom the child is playing.

Children tend to play video games for longer hours if the gaming equipment is in their bedrooms. Away from immediate supervision, they are also more likely to play video games designed for older people. They also tend to play later at nights and go on to have more problems with sleep. Consequences of inadequate sleep include memory, attention problems, obesity and more likelihood of difficult to treat psychiatric problems, such as ADHD, or mood and anxiety disorders. Similarly, excessive video game play is also associated with problems in academic achievement, socialization difficulties, and is more prevalent among children with psychiatric disorders.
Many caregivers express difficulty in regulating children’s problematic video game habits. In fact, rules on day of the week of video game play and rules on media content have little or no effect on how much time a child spends on video games, unless there is a specific limit on the amount of play time, and its location.

Therefore, we strongly encourage parents and caregivers to closely supervise the video game play of children around them, and work towards moving any and all electronics from bedrooms to family rooms. We recommend consulting with a pediatrician to assess for any mood, anxiety or attention problems that may fuel a child’s problematic video game play. Parents and caregivers should check trusted websites for in depth information on the content of a video game they intend to purchase for a child. More information can be found at American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry website, and

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