Meet the Campaign Spokespersons
Jerilyn Ross, M.A., L.I.C.S.W.President & CEO, Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)
Director, The Ross Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders, Inc.
Jerilyn Ross is one of the nation’s leading experts on anxiety disorders, and an active psychotherapist, patient advocate, and author. As president and CEO of ADAA, she represents millions of Americans who suffer from phobias, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. She has testified before Congress on behalf of those suffering from anxiety disorders and has served on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the federal government's Panic Disorder Prevention and Public Education Program. She produced Freedom From Anxiety, a comprehensive self-help program, and authored numerous books, including Triumph Over Fear, A Book of Help and Hope for People with Anxiety and Panic Attacks and Phobias, and she has published articles in the American Journal of Psychiatry and Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Helen Blair Simpson, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at the College of Physician and Surgeons of Columbia University
Director of the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at the New York State Psychiatric Institute
Dr. Simpson is a noted expert on anxiety disorders, with particular emphasis on obsessive-compulsive disorder
(OCD). Her research focuses on improving treatments for people with OCD so that they can live productive lives.
Dr. Simpson was a member of the American Psychiatric Association work group that developed the first Practice
Guidelines for the Treatment of Patients with OCD. She has been affiliated with the Anxiety Disorders Clinic at
the New York State Psychiatric Institute since 1996.
Learn more about Dr. Simpson's work, including several OCD treatment studies.
Michelle G. Craske, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Behavioral Research Program, University of California, Los Angeles
Dr. Craske has been widely published on the topics of fear and anxiety disorders, including their etiology, assessment and treatment. She has been the recipient of continuous NIMH funding since 1991 for research projects pertaining to risk factors for phobias, anxiety disorders and depression; the translation of basic science of fear extinction to human phobias; and the development and dissemination of treatments for anxiety and related disorders.
Dr. Craske received her doctorate from the University of British Columbia. She is currently Associate Editor for the Journal of Abnormal Psychology and Behaviour Research and Therapy and is a Scientific Board Member for ADAA.
Howie Mandel
Howie Mandel is the host of the popular game show Deal or No Deal and a well-known actor and stand-up comedian. He was diagnosed with OCD as an adult, but has been living with symptoms of the disorder since childhood. Mandel has done countless television comedy specials, and he is the creator and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated children's animated series Bobby's World. He frequently appears on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and as a guest host on Live with Regis and Kelly.
David Hoberman
David Hoberman is the co-creator and executive producer of the award-winning USA Network original hit series Monk. He was diagnosed with OCD as an adult, but has experienced the symptoms of OCD throughout his life. He is a member of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America’s Board of Directors.
Hoberman is a leading producer in the entertainment industry. While serving as President of the Motion Picture Group of Walt Disney Studios, his many credits included Pretty Woman and Dead Poets Society; and as a producer at Mandeville Films, his credits include The Negotiator, Bandits, Bringing Down the House, Eight Below, and Raising Helen. He is a visiting assistant professor in the producer’s program at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, and he sits on several cultural and charitable boards and committees.
Tony Shalhoub
Tony Shalhoub portrays Adrian Monk, a detective with OCD, on the award-winning USA Network original hit series Monk, for which he has won three Emmy Awards. A well-known actor, he has played roles in many other films and television shows.