Aparajita Biswas Kuriyan

Aparajita Biswas Kuriyan is the first doctoral candidate to complete the clinical science program in child and adolescent psychology at FIU. From her undergraduate days at the University of Rochester, Aparajita knew she wanted to pursue a career in child mental health.

She started her graduate studies at SUNY Buffalo under Dr. William E. Pelham, Jr. – the country’s top authority on ADHD and child mental health. In 2010, Dr. Pelham moved to Miami to establish FIU’s Center for Children and Families and start a clinical science program. Aparajita became part of the first cohort of this new mentor-based program at FIU. It is one of the few programs in the country with an emphasis on training clinical scientists in child and adolescent psychology.

Aparajita studies different aspects of ADHD research including young adult outcomes, child and adolescent treatment including school settings, and training professionals to work with children who have ADHD. Under Pelham’s guidance, she has published 12 peer-reviewed articles – two are first authored and all are published in high-impact journals. She has presented at annual conferences and secured funding from the American Psychological Association for her research. She was instrumental in developing the effectivechildtherapy.fiu.edu website in collaboration with the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. The website offers video resources in English and Spanish for parents and professionals about evidence-based practices that promote child and adolescent mental health.

After graduation, Aparajita will continue to conduct research and educate mental health professionals and patients on the importance and benefits of using evidence-based treatments.