Barry Zuckerman


Barry S. Zuckerman is Professor and Chair Emeritus of the Department of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine/Boston Medical Center. He started the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at BUSM and Boston Children's Hospital, as well as one of 12 founders of the Society of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. He was the First Medical Director of Boston Medical Center, co-founder of Reach Out and Read, a national childhood literacy program in the United States, founder of Medical-Legal partnership, and co-founder of Health Leads and Healthy Steps, which has transformed pediatric care for low income families. Along with colleagues, he developed a free app, Small Moments Big Impact, that promotes the emotional well-being, empathy, and resilience of new low-income mothers.
He is the author of over 250 scientific publications addressing the importance of mothers' health and well-being on child health, starting during pregnancy. He is the co-editor of numerous books including 4 editions of “The Zuckerman Parker Handbook of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics for Primary Care." He served on the National Commission on Children and Carnegie Commission on Young Children. He has consulted globally for UNICEF in Turkey, Bangladesh and Universities in Serbia, Poland, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Dr. Zuckerman has won the prestigious Joseph St Geme Leadership Award given by all major pediatric organizations for leadership in Pediatrics. He has also won the APA award for Public Policy and Health Service, Robert F Kennedy Award, Sunshine Award from Sesame Workshop, and AAP Award for Child Development. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education from Wheelock College.

Education