Dr. Pushpal Desarkar was appointed to the Board of Directors of Kerry’s Place Autism Services in November 2025. He is a psychiatrist and clinician–scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, where he serves as Medical Head of the Adult Neurodevelopmental Services, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Desarkar brings more than two decades of clinical and academic experience specializing in the mental health and wellbeing of autistic adults and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). His research focuses on understanding brain mechanisms in autism using innovative non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to improve outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Desarkar has authored or co-authored more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, as well as grant review committees for national and international funding bodies. He is also a member of the international Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation in Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network. A dedicated educator and mentor, he supervises graduate and postdoctoral trainees and contributes to multiple academic committees.

Dr. Desarkar is passionate about advancing evidence-based, inclusive care and research that foster meaningful change for individuals with IDD and their communities.