Joseph Biederman Obituary, Death – Joseph Biederman reportedly died with his loved ones and friends in mourning I write this letter to inform you of the passing of Dr. Joseph Biederman yesterday; it is with a very heavy heart and a great deal of regret that I do so. Joe is nearly unsurpassed as a leader in the field of ADHD and was the pioneer in the field. He is considered to be one of the most accomplished child psychiatrists in the entire globe.
member of our group, a trusted friend to a significant number of us, and an inspirational leader for a significant number of people who are not directly associated with him. He had a mind that was bright and a demeanor that was appealing, and he was certainly a giant in our industry. He was one of the child and adolescent psychiatrists in the world with the highest number of citations, and he altered the trajectory of pediatric psychopharmacology as a result of his work.
More significantly for us as his coworkers, he was also an outstanding educator and mentor, a clinician of the highest kind, a dogged advocate for issues he believed in, and a wonderful friend.
The idea that ultimately became APSARD originated with Joe. Because of his efforts, an American specialist society that focuses on ADHD and other similar illnesses was established, and he was responsible for raising the funds needed to assemble the founding board. He had a deep and
abiding passion for APSARD and everything that it stood for. He was very pleased to see it develop into the leading ADHD professional association that it is today because it was exactly what he had hoped it would become. Even though we are saddened by his passing away now, we are thankful for the ways in which his knowledge, insight, and generosity have benefited us in the past. It is so easy to say that someone will be missed when they are no longer with us, but those words fail to describe
the tremendous sense of loss that many of us will suffer as we learn of Joe’s departure.
Before Joe Biederman passed away, we had already decided that he would be the recipient of the APSARD’s 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award. We are saddened by the fact that Joe will be absent from the annual conference at which the APSARD will bestow this honor, which is richly earned. The award ceremony will proceed as planned, and we will take this opportunity to reflect on Joe’s many accomplishments and to honor his life.