Dr. Russell Barkley

And he took me on as a research assistant.

Within a month or two, I became his honor student and never looked back.

And he was studying what then was called hyperactive child syndrome, but we now call ADHD, and doing studies on medication, imitation learning, very behavioral kind of operant stuff.

And I fell in love with it.

I loved the kids.

I liked what he was trying to do.

He was a very paternal figure in my life at a time when I really needed guidance.

And just a great, so it was Don Ruth was his name.

He was also editor of one of our more famous journals.

But Don kind of steered me correctly and I never looked back.

I started studying ADHD, did my honors thesis, master's thesis, dissertation, all within the ADHD space.

And then went on to specialize in child neuropsychology with a research focus on ADHD because clearly it's brain-based.

problems, although back then it was only a suspicion.

Now, of course, it's been confirmed.

So long story short, it was the influence of one guy in my life at a very formative time who sort of bent the twig, forced the pathway in that way.

And I've always been grateful to him for

Now, it turns out, of course, ADHD is in my family, and it really helped me to understand.

I have a fraternal twin brother who died from his ADHD risk-taking when he was in his 50s, a car crash.

I lost his son, my nephew, to suicide over very impulsive behavior following an argument with a girlfriend.

I have other extended relatives who have the condition.