Amori Yee Mikami

Dr. Amori Yee Mikami is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia, where she serves as Associate Head for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She holds a Canada Research Chair in Clinical Child Psychology and is a registered clinical psychologist in British Columbia. Dr. Mikami directs the Promoting Equitable, Affirming Relationships Lab (PEARL), which focuses on youth social relationships with a particular emphasis on those with ADHD. Her work applies a strong equity, diversity, and inclusion perspective to understanding peer dynamics and developing interventions.

Her research examines how supportive classroom and home environments can help children with peer problems, with special interest in designing interventions that train teachers or parents in strategies to assist children. Dr. Mikami's work spans several key areas including digital social interactions, cross-racial friendships, barriers to mental health services among equity-deserving groups (particularly Asian Canadian youth with ADHD), and the application of social inclusion principles to peer relationship problems rather than focusing solely on individual deficits.

Dr. Mikami's publication record shows a clear trajectory toward increasingly incorporating digital contexts into social relationship research, examining TikTok content about ADHD, online social interactions, and digital interventions. Her work has shifted toward more explicitly addressing structural barriers to inclusion rather than focusing solely on individual-level social skills deficits, reflecting her strong equity perspective.

• Canada Research Chair (2024)
• UBC Killam Research Prize (2018)
• Association for Psychological Science Rising Star (2011)
• American Psychological Association Award, Division 53 (2005)

Dr. Mikami actively mentors numerous graduate and undergraduate students in her lab, with many serving as co-authors on her publications. Her lab develops and tests interventions such as Parental Friendship Coaching, which trains parents to support their children's social development. She has secured significant grant funding to examine barriers to mental health services among Asian Canadian youth with ADHD and to develop digital interventions to improve social connectedness. The PEARL lab maintains a strong focus on applying research to real-world contexts, with an emphasis on making findings accessible to families and practitioners through resources like her book 'Parents as Friendship Coaches for Children with ADHD.'