James P. Comer, M.D.
Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry
Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center
Dr. James P. Comer is the Maurice Falk Professor of Child Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine’s Child Study Center in New Haven, Connecticut. He is known nationally and internationally for his creation of the Comer School Development Program. He is the author of nine books, including Beyond Black and White; Maggie’s American Dream; and Leave No Child Behind. His pioneering work in school restructuring has been featured in numerous newspapers, magazines and television reports, and it has been published in many academic journals. Dr. Comer has written more than 150 articles for Parents Magazine and over 300 syndicated articles on children’s health and development, and race relations. His pioneering concept of teamwork has improved the educational environment in more than 500 schools throughout America.
He is a co-founder and past president of the Black Psychiatrists of America. He has served on the board of several universities, foundations and corporations. He was a consultant to Children's Television Workshop and has served as a consultant, committee member, advisory board member and trustee to numerous local and national organizations serving children.
A native of East Chicago, Indiana, Dr. Comer received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1956, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from Howard University. He earned a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He trained in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, and one year at the Hillcrest Children’s Center in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Comer has received 43 honorary degrees and has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the John and Mary Markle Scholar in Academic Medicine Award, the Rockefeller Public Service Award, the Harold W. McGraw, Jr., Prize in Education, the Charles A. Dana Award for Pioneering Achievement in Education, the Heinz Award for the Human Condition, and most recently, the University of Louisville 2007 Grawemeyer Award for Education. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.