Leading academic honored for influence on infant mental health and adverse childhood experiences
Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2022 – ZERO TO THREE, the country’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ensuring babies and toddlers have a strong start in life, is proud to announce Dr. Charles H. Zeanah, Jr. as the winner of its 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award. The annual award recognizes individuals who have made substantive contributions to improving the lives of infants, toddlers and their families. Dr. Zeanah is a leading academic and clinician in child psychiatry.
“Charley Zeanah is a model and innovator in our field, and it’s been a privilege to stand alongside him, learn from him and call him a friend,” stated Dr. Brenda Jones-Harden, board president at ZERO TO THREE. “At a time when more and more people are recognizing the importance of infant and early childhood mental health, Charley has been on the forefront of discovering new insights into adverse childhood experiences and finding ways to better the lives of babies and toddlers in need. His work is a cornerstone of our efforts, and we are proud to pay tribute to him with this award.”
Dr. Charles H. Zeanah, Jr., MD is the Mary Peters Sellars Polchow Chair of Psychiatry and Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Tulane University School of Medicine. Dr. Zeanah is widely recognized for his leadership in the field of infant mental health, where he has focused on early childhood psychopathology and the factors important in helping children recover from serious trauma. He has advocated for a more developmentally informed approach to foster care for young children, asserting that foster care in early childhood should be considered a different intervention than for older children and adolescents. He is a graduate of Tulane University School of Medicine, and in addition to serving as a past board member of ZERO TO THREE, is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“So much of the work we do every day to advance infant mental health has been built on Charley’s efforts,” added Matthew Melmed, executive director of ZERO TO THREE. “We have been privileged to have his wisdom and insights shape and lead our organization for years. I am honored that Charley will now join the ranks of our illustrious Lifetime Achievement Award winners.”
ZERO TO THREE will present Dr. Zeanah with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its virtual LEARN Conference, taking place from Sept. 12-15, 2022. For more information about ZERO TO THREE, please visit zerotothree.org.
