Brian Iwata received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Florida State University and is currently Research Foundation Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Florida, Director of the Florida Center on Self-Injury, and Co-Director of the University of Florida Autism Program. He has held faculty appointments previously at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Western Michigan University.

His primary areas of interest are applied behavior analysis, developmental disabilities, functional analysis of severe behavior disorders, and program evaluation. He has published over 175 articles and chapters on these topics, and he has received over $4 million in research grants to support that work.

Brian’s work has focused on almost every behavioral aspect of developmental disabilities, including behavioral acquisition (ranging from basic skills training to community preparation), eating disorders, self-injurious and aggressive behavior, and staff management. Much of Brian’s research has focused on the functional analysis of severe behavior disorders, an approach to assessment and treatment that is one of the most significant advancements in behavior analysis.

Brian is the former chief editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Chair of the Human Development Study Section of the National Institutes of Health, President of the Association for Behavior Analysis, President of the Society for Advancement of Behavior Analysis, President of Division 33 of the American Psychological Association, President of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and President of the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis. He is a fellow in the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the American Association on Mental Retardation.

Brian has received a number of significant awards for his work, including the Don Hake Award for Contributions to Basic and Applied Research from the American Psychological Association, the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Service from the Association for Behavior Analysis, and the Richard Dillon Award for Excellence in Research from the American Association in Mental Retardation.