Vasco Lopes, PsyD

Vasco Lopes, PsyD, is the Director of the ADHD Summer Program at the Child Mind Institute. A clinical and school psychologist with expertise in treating children with behavioral and emotional dysregulation, Dr. Lopes has dedicated his career to developing innovative ways to apply research-backed interventions in real-world clinical settings.

Prior to joining the Child Mind Institute, Dr. Lopes ran his own private practice, treating children and adolescents with behavioral and emotional disorders. Previously, he spent six years at Columbia University Medical Center as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a senior clinical psychologist at the Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD).

Dr. Lopes has extensive experience in program development. At Columbia, he served as the founding director of the B.U.D.S. Program, an intensive summer treatment program for children with behavioral and emotional challenges, and as the coordinator for the Program for ADHD and Disruptive Behaviors.

His specialization in childhood emotional dysregulation began during his pre- and post-doctoral training, including an APA-accredited internship at Andrus Children’s Center and a postdoctoral fellowship at Fordham University’s Pediatric Emotional Regulation Lab (PERL), where he conducted comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for children with temper outbursts.

Beyond clinical work, Dr. Lopes has contributed to the field through research, publications, and public education. He has presented at national conferences, consulted for schools and community organizations, and published in peer-reviewed journals on the diagnosis and treatment of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder and summer treatment programs. He is also the founder of Behavior Rocket, a behavioral modification app designed to help parents and teachers implement positive reinforcement strategies with children.

• Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
• Senior Clinical Psychologist, Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CUCARD), Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
• Director, B.U.D.S. Program, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
• Coordinator, Program for ADHD and Disruptive Behaviors, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY
• Staff Psychologist, ADHD and Behavior Disorders Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY

• Clinical Internship, Andrus Children’s Center, Yonkers, NY
• Clinical Research Fellowship, Pediatric Emotional Regulation Lab, Fordham University, Bronx, NY
• Kazdin Parent Management Training Certification
• Therapist Certification in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy

• PsyD, School Psychology, St. John’s University
• BA, Psychology, St. John’s University

Holzer, B., Lopes, V., & Lehman, R. (2013). Combination use of atomoxetine hydrochloride and olanzapine in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with comorbid disruptive behavior disorder in children and adolescents 10-18 years of age. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, 23(6), 415–418. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2013.0029

Tannenbaum, S., Hart, K., Moody, S., Lopes, V., & Allan, C. (2022). Building a summer treatment program in the real world. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2022.2151527

Roy, A., Klein, R., & Lopes, V. (2014). Diagnosis and treatment of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(9), 918-924.