Inaugural Dr. Barbara J. Anderson lecture presents honored speaker

November 14, 2017

The Inaugural Dr. Barbara J. Anderson lecture was held on October, 27. This lectureship was created to honor Barbara J. Anderson, Ph.D., associate head of the Section of Psychology and professor of Pediatrics, who recently retired after 15 years on faculty at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital. Dr. Anderson’s contributions to the diabetes community and behavioral science over her 40-year career have been invaluable to advancing research and practice in pediatric diabetes and supporting the careers of many scientists and providers in academic medicine. Prior to her time in Houston, she was on faculty at Washington University School of Medicine, the University of Michigan, and Harvard Medical School/Joslin Diabetes Center. Dr. Anderson has had continuous grant support from the National Institutes of Health, the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, JDRF, and other funders since 1979.

The honored speaker at the Inaugural Anderson lecture was Randi Streisand, Ph.D., professor of Psychology and Behavioral Health and director of Psychology Research at Children’s National Medical Center (Washington, DC). Dr. Streisand is an internationally recognized expert in parenting stress and support in families of children with type 1 diabetes. Her lecture, “The Shared Lived Experience: What Parenting Coaching Can Add to a Behavioral Intervention,” recognized Dr. Anderson’s early contributions to the field that acknowledged the importance of supporting parents and families of children with chronic medical conditions including diabetes. Dr. Streisand reviewed literature about peer parent mentoring across pediatric chronic conditions and illustrated the implementation of Peer Coach strategies as part of her program of behavioral intervention research with parents of young children with type 1 diabetes. In addition to her lecture, Dr. Streisand met with collaborators at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital and led professional mentoring sessions with behavioral researchers and clinical faculty in the Section of Psychology.

The Barbara J. Anderson lecture will occur annually, highlighting leaders in pediatric, child clinical, and neuropsychology to honor the professional legacy of Dr. Anderson’s widespread contributions to the field.