Rosanna Breaux, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, has been awarded the 2019 Young Scientist Research Award from the nonprofit Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

The honor includes a $1,000 cash award, recognition in CHADD’s Attention Magazine and a trip to the Nov. 7-9 2019 Annual International Conference on ADHD in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Breaux will have a chance to present her research during the award ceremony. The award honors work in the fields of biological/genetic underpinnings of the disorder, treatment efficacy, school or workplace accommodations, public health, epidemiology, and more.

Breaux, who joined Virginia Tech this August, focuses her research on the emotional and social functioning of children and adolescents with ADHD, with a focus on emotion regulation. 

Rosanna Breaux with pink shirt and Hokie Stone backdrop

Breaux’s winning submission highlights the effectiveness of the RELAX – that’s short for Regulating Emotions Like An eXpert -- program she developed, an 8-week intervention that equips adolescents with coping, communication, and conflict management skills, and works with parents to provide a supportive environment in which adolescents can effectively use these skills at home, school, and with peers.

CHADD was founded in 1987 “in response to the frustration and sense of isolation experienced by parents and their children with ADHD,” according to the group’s website.