Dr. Russell Schachar, MD, FRCPC
Senior Scientist Emeritus, Psychiatrist
Dr. Russell Schachar trained in medicine at the University of Toronto and in psychiatry at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Following this, he completed postdoctoral training during a fellowship at the University of London, England under the supervision of Professor Sir Michael Rutter. Motivated by a desire to advance the understanding of mental illness in youth, Dr. Schachar returned to The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) where he initiated an acclaimed clinical research program in Neuropsychiatry and set up a productive research laboratory.
During an active career spanning 40 years, his contributions to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism research have had significant and far-reaching international impact. He is a leader in the field of child psychopathology, advancing our understanding of brain structure and brain function in mental disorders, traumatic brain injury and individuals treated for cancer.
Dr. Schachar has won several prestigious awards such as the Elaine Schlosser Lewis Award, American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (achievement in ADHD research) and the John M Cleghorn Memorial Award for Excellence and Leadership in Clinical Research. Dr Schachar an inductee to the CHADD Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in ADHD and a member of the Professional Advisory Board of CHADD. He is a Board member of CADDRA and APSARD and is co-leading the Clinical Practice Guidelines revisions for CADDRA.
Dr. Schachar holds externally funded grants including from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders (POND) Network funded by the Ontario Brain Institute (OBI).
Dr Schachar transitioned to Emeritus status in 2024, but remains active in the lab although he is no longer taking on graduate students.