ADHD "Experts" Conflicts of Interest
"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it." Upton Beall Sinclair Jr.
This alphabetical list below includes the:
-
World's top 66 'ADHD experts' identified by Expertscape as having authored or co-authored the most influential publications on ADHD from 2011 to 2021.
-
Self-described ADHD ‘world experts’ who signed The World Federation of ADHD 2021 Consensus Statement.
-
Other prominent 'ADHD experts'.
It only lists some of their relationships with business involved in the manufacturing and/or marketing of ADHD drugs. It does not include ties to other commercial organisations involved in the ADHD Industry or many other Big Pharma financial relationships. It was compiled in November 2021 and does not include any payments made since then.
​
-
Doron Almagor # Canada - Shire/Takeda, Janssen and Purdue.
-
Kevin Antshel USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 49) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found.
-
L Eugene Arnold (USA 106 articles ADHD Expert World Ranking 9) - Eli Lilly, Neuropharm, Novartis, Noven, Shire, Otsuka, Pfizer, Roche and Tris and Astrazeneca, Biomarin, Curemark, Noven, Seaside Therapeutics X and Celgene, Eli Lilly, Targacept, Sigma Tau, Organon, Abbott, McNeil X.
-
Martjin Arns Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 32) - Has done extensive research into neuro-biofeedback and ADHD and has declared commercial ties in regard to the commercialisation of nuero-biofeedback.
-
Philip Asherson # UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 4) - Shire/Takeda, Eli-Lilly, Novartis and Shire and Vifor Pharma, GW Pharma and QbTech X.
-
Tobias Banaschewski # Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 5) - Lundbeck, Shire/Takeda and Janssen, McNeil, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Shire X and Medice, Neurim Pharmaceuticals, Oberberg GmbH, Infectopharm X.
-
Russel Barkley - Eli Lilly, Shire, McNeil and Medice* and Janssen-Cilag, Novartis* and Theravance*. Note: Barkley was the lead author of the 2002 International Consensus Statement on ADHD that offered no collaborating evidence (not a single academic reference) and did not declare the extensive conflict of interest of the signatories but concluded that claims that “ADHD is a fictitious disorder… is tantamount to declaring the earth flat, the laws of gravity debatable, and the periodic table in chemistry a fraud”. Barkley et al were criticised by a group of psychiatrist and scientists (led by Professor Sami Timmimi) as attempting to stifle legitimate and needed debate about ADHD.
-
Stephen P. Becker USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 11) No direct financial ties to ADHD drug manufacturers found. He has received grant funding from various U.S. institutions including the Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education; National Institute of Mental Health and Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation.
-
Mark A. Bellgrove # Australia - Shire and Eli Lilly, Janssen-Cilag X.
-
Joseph Biederman # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 12) - Pfizer, Sunovion, Takeda/Shire, Tris, Shire, Sunovion, Theravance; Lundbeck and Johnson and Johnson, Eli Lilly and Co., Janssen, McNeil, Otsuka, Shire, Janssen, McNeil, Novartis, Shire, UCB Pharma, Inc. GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Pfizer X. and Alcobra, Genentech, Ironshore, Magceutics, Merck, Neurocentria, Roche, Aevi Genomics, Akili, Alcobra, Arbor Pharmaceuticals, Jazz Pharma, Medgenics, Piper Jaffray, the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders, he has a financial interest in Avekshan, a company that develops treatments for ADHD and has received royalties from a copyrighted rating scale used for ADHD diagnoses X. Note: Biederman was previously sanctioned by Harvard for not properly disclosing payments received from multiple drug companies. (Read More)
-
Michael H Bloch USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 54) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found.
-
Sven Bölte # Sweden - Medice and Shire/Takeda, Eli Lilly X.
-
Daniel Brandeis Austria (ADHD Expert World Ranking 23) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found however he along with many researchers with extensive ADHD drug company connections participated in research into non-pharmaceutical treatments on ADHD that was supported by Janssen-Cilag, Lilly, Medice, Shire, and Vifor.
-
Jan K. Buitelaar # Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 3) - Takeda/Shire, Janssen and Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Shire, Novartis* and Bristol-Myer Squibb, UCB X. and Medice, Roche, Angelini, and Servier X.
-
Francisco Xavier Castellanos USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 15) No direct drug company ties found.
-
Ann C Childress USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 17) Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Ironshore, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Ortho-McNeil, Janssen, Rhodes, Shire, Sunovion, Theravance, and Pfizer.
-
David Coghill # Australia (ADHD Expert World Ranking 6) - Shire/Takeda, Medice and Janssen-Cilag, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Shire X and Vifor Pharma, Sunovion X.
-
Keith Conners USA - Celgene, Shire, Noven, Eli Lilly, Targacept, Novartis, Shire, Novartis, Alza, Noven, Eli Lilly, McNeil. Note: Late in life Connors (now deceased) who has been described as the Father of ADHD (and devised the Connors Rating Scale which is commonly used to diagnose ADHD) declared to colleagues that the over-diagnosis of ADHD was “an epidemic of tragic proportions.”
-
Samuele Cortese # UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 2) - Shire, Eli Lilly X and GlaxoSmithKline, Genopharm X.
-
Cleo L. Crunelle # Belgium - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Søren Dalsgaard # Denmark - Lundbeck Foundation Note: Dalsgaard was the lead author of flawed research into ADHD relative age effects in Denmark that is debunked here.
-
David Daley # UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 46) - Shire/Takeda, Medice, Eli Lilly.
-
Marina Danckaerts Belguim (ADHD Expert World Ranking 58) - Elli Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Shire and Medici.
-
Manfred Döpfner # Germany – Eli Lilly, Medice, Shire, Takeda and Janssen Cilag, Novartis.
-
Stacey Espinet # signed the Consensus Statement on behalf of Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement however CADDRA receives funding from pharmaceutical companies X.
-
Jeffery Epstien USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 39) - Eli Lilly and McNeil, Shire, Novartis.
-
Steven W Evans USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 38) - Abbott Laboratories.
-
Stephen V. Faraone (# First Signatory of the WFADHD Consensus Statement on ADHD and President of WFADHD) USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 1) - Arbor, Ironshore, Ondosis, Otsuka, Rhodes, Shire/Takeda, Sunovion, Supernus, Tris, and Vallon. Alcobra, Eli Lilly, Enzymotec, Janssen, KemPharm, Lundbeck/Takeda, McNeil, Neurolifesciences, Neurovance, Novartis and Pfizer and Akili Interactive Labs, Genomind, Ironshore, Medice X.
-
Robert Findling USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 47) - Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celltech-Medeva, Cypress Biosciences, Forest, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, New River, Novartis, Otsuka, Pfizer, Sanofi-Aventis, Shire, Solvay, Supernus, Wyeth.
-
Michael Fitzgerald # Ireland - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Barbara Franke # Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 13) - Medice and Shire X.
-
Susan Sher-Fen Gau Tiawan (ADHD Expert World Ranking 26) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
Manfred Gerlach # Germany - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement. Note: Treasurer of the WFADHD
-
Laurence L Greenhill USA - Eli Lilly, Novartis, McNeil, Otsuka, Pfizer, Janzen-Cilag, Johnson and Johnson and Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline*. and Shire, Cephalon, Celltech, Sanofi, Aventis, Otsuka, Janssen.
-
Jan Haavik # Norway (ADHD Expert World Ranking 57) - Shire, HB Pharma, Takeda, Medice, Biocodex and Eli Lilly X and JanssenCilag, Novartis X.
-
Jeffrey Halperin USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 28) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
Catharina A. Hartman # Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 21) - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Cynthia M. Hartung # USA - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Lily T Hechtman Canada (ADHD Expert World Ranking 64) - Ely Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Ortho Janssen, Purdue, Shire.
-
Stephen P. Hinshaw # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 40) - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement however Hinshaw has prior commercial ties to Noven, Sigma Tau and McNeil.
-
Paul Hodgkins USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 24) - Is a shareholder and employee of Shire.
-
Pieter J. Hoekstra # Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 29) - Takeda and Shire X.
-
Chris Hollis # UK - No connections declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement however she along with many researchers with extensive ADHD drug company connections participated in research into non-pharmaceutical treatments on ADHD that was supported by Janssen-Cilag, Lilly, Medice, Shire, and Vifor.
-
Martin Holtmann Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 59) - Medice, Shire, Eli Lilly and Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Janssen-Cilag.
-
Michael Kofler USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 66) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found.
-
Scott H. Kollins # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 31) - Tris, OnDosis, KemPharm and Akili Interactive Labs, Arbor, Bose, Ironshore, Jazz, Neos, Otsuka, Rhodes, Shire, Sunovion X.
-
J.J. Sandra Kooij # Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 51) - Receives research support from Parnassia Groep, the Netherlands it is not known if this organisation is sponsored by ADHD drug manufacturers.
-
Joshua Landberg USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 22) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
Henrik Larsson # Sweden (ADHD Expert World Ranking 10) - Shire/Takeda and Evolan Pharma X.
-
Klaus Peter Lesch Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 52) - Eli Lilly, Medice, Shire.
-
Paul Lichtenstein Sweden (ADHD Expert World Ranking 37) - Medice.
-
Jing Liu # China - Eli-Lilly, Janssen, Otsuka, Abbott Laboratories.
-
Marjolein Luman Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 63) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found.
-
Suzanne McCarthy # Ireland - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement but has received research funding from Shire X.
-
Iris Manor # Israel - Novartis, Takeda, Alcobra, Nuance Ltd. and Jansen-Cilag, Israel, Teva Israel, Medison Israel and Shire X.
-
Gregory Mattingly # USA - Alcobra, Allergan, Jansen, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Shire, Sunovion, Supernus, Takeda and Noven X.
-
Paulo Mattos # Brazil - Shire/Takeda and Janssen-Cilag, Eli Lilly, Novartis and Shire X.
-
Eugene Merzon # Israel - Teva, Medison.
-
Amori Yee Mikami # Canada - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Brooke S.G. Molina # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 43) - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Jeffrey H. Newcorn # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 44) - Arbor, Lundbeck, OnDosis, Rhodes, Shire/Takeda, Pfizer and Sunovion, Otsuka, Medice, Shire and NeuroLifeSciences, Rhodes Pharmaceuticals X and Eli Lilly, Alza, Celgene, McNeil, Celltech/UCB, Novartis, Sanofi Aventis, Janssen, and Bristol-Myers Squibb X.
-
Joel T. Nigg # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 14) - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement. He has previously declared receiving payment for consulting to the TOVA Company and to an organisation funded by Shire.
-
Olayinka O. Omigbodun # Nigeria - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Jaap Oosterlaan Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 25) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
William Pelham USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 30) - Abbott Laboratories and Alza, Shire, Noven, Eli Lilly, Cephalon, McNeil, Richwood, Noven, Novartis, Celgene, and Abbott. Note: Professor Pelham deserves credit for his honesty in regards to his assessment of the long term outcomes associated with the use of ADHD medications demonstrated in the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD (commonly referred to as the MTA Study). For details read https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/nov/12/uknews.health
-
Guilherme V. Polanczyk # Brazil (ADHD Expert World Ranking 19) - Takeda, Medice and Eli Lilly, Novartis, Janssen-Cilag X. and ShireX.
-
Yehuda Pollak # Israel - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Alison S. Poulson # Australia - Shire/Takeda
-
Diane Purper-Ouakil # France – Shire, Medice, Otsuka, Janssen.
-
J. Antoni Ramos-Quiroga # Spain (ADHD Expert World Ranking 20) - Eli-Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Shire, Takeda, Lundbeck, Medice and Almirall, Braingaze, Sincrolab, and Rubió, Actelion, Ferrer, and Rubió X and Shionogui, Bial, Psious, Roche X.
-
Ravi Philip Rajkumar # India - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Andreas Reif # Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 42) - Medice, Janssen, Shire/Takeda and Medice X and Neuraxpharm, Servier X.
-
Trevor W Robbins UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 48) - Unilever, Greenfield Bioventures, Shionogi, Small Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline and Eli Lilly, Lundbeck.
-
Veit Roessner Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 60) - Eli Lilly, Novartis, Shire, Medice, Otsuka.
-
Luis Augusto Rohde # Brazil (ADHD Expert World Ranking 8) - Eli-Lilly, Janssen-Cilag, Novartis, Medice, Pfizer and Shire.
-
Marcel Romanos # Germany - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement but has received payments from Janssen-Cilag and Medice X.
-
Nanda Rommelse Netherlands (ADHD Expert World Ranking 36) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
Aribert Rothenberger - Germany Eli Lilly, Shire, Medice, Novartis, UCB/Shire.
-
Katya Rubia # Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 34) - Takeda and Eli Lilly, Shire, Medice X.
-
Julia Rucklidge # New Zealand - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Kapil Sayal UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 62) - No direct ADHD drug company ties found. Note: Sayal led some excellent research that showed that the youngest children in classrooms in Finland are at much higher risk of being diagnosed and ‘medicated’ for ADHD than their older classmates. Later research led by the ADHDisBS.com editor Dr Martin Whitely demonstrated this is a global phenomenon.
-
Arnt Schellekens # Netherlands - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Anouk Scheres # Netherlands - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Emma Sciberras Australia (ADHD Expert World Ranking 33) - No direct drug company ties found.
-
Renata Schoeman # South Africa - Janssen, Lundbeck, Takeda, Janssen, Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Takeda
-
Julie B. Schweitzer # USA - Shire
-
Henal Shah # India - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Phillip Shaw USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 16) No direct drug company ties found.
-
Margaret Sibley USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 41) - Abbott Laboratories.
-
Thomas Spencer USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 55) - Cephalon, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen, McNeil, Novartis, Pfizer, Shire and Alcobra, Avekshan, Ironshore, Lundbeck, Sunovion, Dr. Spencer received research support from Royalties and Licensing fees on copyrighted ADHD scales through MGH Corporate Sponsored Research and Licensing and has a U.S. Patent for a non-stimulant treatment for ADHD. Note: Wilens was previously sanctioned by Harvard for not properly disclosing payments received from multiple drug companies. (Read More)
-
Mark A. Stein # Australia - Shire/Takeda and Tris X.
-
Mary V. Solanto # USA - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement but has conducted research funded by Shire X.
-
Edmund Sonuga-Barke # Denmark (ADHD Expert World Ranking 7) - MRC, Shire/Takeda and Janssen Cilag, Medice X and AstraZeneca, Flynn Pharma, UCB Pharma, Qbtech X.
-
César Soutullo # USA and Germany - Lundbeck, NeuroTech, Medice and Shire*.
-
Hans-Christoph Steinhausen # Denmark - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement but has commercial ties to Medice X and Janssen-Cilag, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Shire, and UCB X.
-
James M. Swanson # USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 35) - Medice, Shire/Takeda and Novartis, UCB, Janssen, McNeil, Eli LillyX and Alza, Richwood, Celgene, Celltech, Gliatech, Cephalon, Watson, CIBA X.
-
Anita Thapar # UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 18) - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement. Note: For a critique of an appalling overhyped claim by Thapar as having proved “that ADHD is a genetic disease” read ADHD: How a Lie ‘Medicated’ Often Enough Became the Truth.
-
Gail Tripp # Japan - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Geurt Van de Glind # Netherlands - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Wim Van den Brink # Netherlands - Novartis, Takeda and Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, Pfizer.X
-
Saskia Van der Oord # Germany (ADHD Expert World Ranking 65) - No connections declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement however she along with many researchers with extensive ADHD drug company connections participated in research into non-pharmaceutical treatments on ADHD that was supported by Janssen-Cilag, Lilly, Medice, Shire, and Vifor.
-
Benedetto Vitiello # USA - Medice, Lundbeck and Richwood Pharmaceuticals.X (now merged with Shire).
-
Susanne Walitza # Switzerland - None Declared in the WFADHD Consensus Statement.
-
Sharon Wigal USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 61) - Eli Lilly, Shire, Novartis, McNeil.
-
Timothy Wilens USA (ADHD Expert World Ranking 45) - Abbott, Cephalon, Ortho-McNeil, Eli Lilly and Company, Shire, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Pfizer and Alcobra, Neurovance/Otsuka, and Ironshore*. Note: Wilens was previously sanctioned by Harvard for not properly disclosing payments received from multiple drug companies. (Read More)
-
Li Yang # China - Eli-Lilly, Janssen.
-
Susan Young UK (ADHD Expert World Ranking 53) - Janssen, HB Pharma, Shire, Takeda and Flynn Pharma.
​
# Indicates this ‘expert’ is a signatory of The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement.
X indicates that the ‘expert’ is a signatory to the The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement but did not declare the preceding ADHD drug manufacturer financial relationship in the statement.
​
Related Blogs:
Top 'ADHD Experts' all take drug company money
The world's ten most influential 'ADHD experts' all take funds from multiple ADHD drug manufacturers. Topping the list is American psychologist Prof Stephen V. Faraone who has commercial ties to 21 ADHD drug companies.
ADHD its an Industry not an Illness
Despite the success of the Industry in medicalising childhood behaviours, the argument that ‘ADHD is a medical condition’ doesn’t stack-up. A far more plausible explanation is that ADHD is an Industry, motivated to maximise profits, just like any other industry. In fact, with US$22,500,000,000 in annual drug sales, and countless other billions received for diagnosing and promoting the ‘disorder’, it is ridiculous to argue that ADHD is not an Industry.
​