Alan E. Kazdin is director and chairman of the Child Study Center at the Yale University School of Medicine and John M. Musser Professor of Psychology, Child Psychiatry and Institute of Social and Policy Studies. He is also director of Child Psychiatric Services, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and director of the Yale Parenting Center and Child Conduct Clinic, an outpatient treatment service for children referred for aggressive and antisocial behavior.

Background. He received a PhD in clinical psychology from Northwestern University (1970). Before Yale, he was on the faculty of Northwestern University, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He was a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences and president of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy. At Yale, he was director of clinical training and chairman of the psychology department.

Research. His research focuses on the development, treatment and clinical course of aggressive and antisocial child behavior. His current studies evaluate mediators, moderators and mechanisms of child and family therapy and novel models of delivering treatment. His research has been funded by NIMH and private foundations for more than 30 years, including Research Scientist Development and Research Scientist Awards, a MERIT Award, and NIH grants to supervise and train minority undergraduate and graduate students interested in clinical-research careers.

Clinical work. He is actively involved in clinical work with children and families. He is a licensed psychologist and a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology. He has directed inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services for children and worked with children, adolescents and adults in day-treatment and inpatient settings for developmental disabilities. He has worked with the state legislature and managed-care agencies to improve quality of patient care and to evaluate therapy practice statewide.

Awards and honors. His awards include: Distinguished Scientific Contribution to Clinical Psychology, Distinguished Professional Contribution to Clinical Child Psychology, Distinguished Scientist Award (all from APA Div. 12, the Society of Clinical Psychology); Outstanding Research Contribution by an Individual (Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy); and Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to Psychology (Connecticut Psychological Association). In 2005, he was recognized as the leading clinical psychologist in research impact among APA approved clinical programs. He is a fellow of APA, the Association for Psychological Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Editorial positions. He has served as editor of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Psychological Assessment, Behavior Therapy, Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice and Current Directions in Psychological Science and as editor-in-chief of APA's "Encyclopedia of Psychology" (2000). Currently he serves as associate editor of the "Annual Review of Psychology" and as series editor of books in psychology for Yale University Press.

Publications. He has published more than 600 articles, books and chapters. His 40-plus books focus primarily on psychotherapy research and clinical practice, child and adolescent disorders, and assessment, methodology and research design. Although none of the books has been made into a movie or Broadway show, he remains cautiously pessimistic.

Kazdin's candidate statement

I am honored to be a candidate and eager to work with APA leadership, divisions and the directorates.

Clinical practice. I shall lobby strongly for improved patient care and access to care. This includes advocacy for mental health parity, prescription privileges, mobility of licenses and also new opportunities for our practice and practitioners in relation to physical health (please see www.votekazdinapa.yale.edu).

Science. The enormous advances in science (e.g., genetics and neurobiology), including many fusion sciences (e.g., medical geology, neuroeconomics), have made psychology more relevant than ever before. I am eager to make our prominence more evident among other sciences and to the public at large.

Culture and diversity. Policy and international work are critical priorities to help address problems (nutrition, disease) on a world scale. Consequently, diversity, underrepresented groups and culture are not afterthoughts but points of departure for our understanding. The rich opportunities for theoretical work, basic research and service—based on informed understanding of diversity—remain largely unexplored and are key priorities for me.

Education. Our education and training are pivotal, including early education (precollege) through professional education. A priority for me is public education to disseminate better our advances on key social and health problems.

All talk? I don't think so. I am committed to critical issues, will work vigorously and join with our many constituencies to effect change. We can make enormous gains for the profession by not emphasizing the profession but by emphasizing our conceptual and empirical understanding of problems and solutions and partnering with others to exert impact. I bring experience, energy and enthusiasm to these priorities. There are very serious national and world problems, and we have critical information for many of them. Please vote and work with me on critical issues. Indeed, let us do so, no matter the election's result.

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