In Memoriam: Joel F. Lubar, PhD

November 16, 1938-February 9, 2024

Dr. Lubar was responsible for developing the use of EEG Biofeedback (Neurofeedback) as a treatment modality for children, adolescents, and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, starting with his controlled studies in the mid-1970’s. This application of Neurofeedback became widespread in clinics and schools throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Israel, Europe and Mexico. Currently, more than 1500 health care organizations are using the EEG biofeedback protocols that he developed.

His work encompassed developing databases for the assessment of individuals with ADD/ADHD, and consulting in several controlled studies evaluating the effectiveness of Neurofeedback. In a 1992 publication, in Pediatric Neurology, he and his colleagues showed, for the first time, that children with the inattentive form of ADD (without hyperactivity), differ significantly in terms of quantitative EEG patterns, from matched control non-ADD children.

Dr. Lubar was a beloved past president of AAPB. He was the president of the Academy of Certified Neurotherapist which now offers specialty certifications in EEG Biofeedback as part of the Biofeedback Certification Institute of America (BCIA). He was also the president of the EEG Division of the AAPB. He has served on the BCIA Board of Directors, and as a member of the executive board of the AAPB. He was the first President of the Biofeedback Society of Tennessee. Since 1979 he was co-director of the Southeastern Neurofeedback Institute Inc., in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was the ISNR past president.

Dr Lubar was one of the founding fathers of the ISNR Research Foundation (currently FNNR) and was board member of the FNNR and then Emeritus Advisory Board member of our FOundation. We will miss him very much as we lost our most beloved mentor and advisor.