Dr. Carli Friedman, Director of Research for CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership, has been named as one of the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists’ in 2025. This is the second year in a row that Dr. Friedman has received this internationally-recognized designation by Stanford University. Researchers are selected for the ranking based upon the number of their publications and associated citations. Every year, Dr. Friedman authors a substantial amount of research providing insight into issues related to the disability services system and the lives of people with disabilities.
“Carli’s research has had a huge impact on our field. We’re so proud of her for yet again receiving this recognition from Stanford University,” shares Dr. Mary Kay Rizzolo, President and CEO of CQL. “This designation reaffirms the value of her hard work, providing deeper insight and understanding of complex issues, to drive meaningful change.”
As of 2025, Dr. Friedman authored 135 journal publications and received 3,477 citations of her research, which resulted in her inclusion in the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists’ listing this year. Her 2025 research covered numerous topics that are pertinent to the human services field, spanning self-determination, social determinants of health, healthcare, racism, ableism, and overall quality of life. Dr. Friedman’s work aims to educate people with disabilities, professionals, families, researchers, other stakeholders, and the broader public about issues that impact the quality of people’s services and the quality of people’s lives.
“I’m honored to be included among the world’s top scientists,” says Dr. Friedman. “Research is of critical importance, particularly in the disability services sector. Thank you to Stanford University for shining a spotlight on it.”
This is the second year that Dr. Friedman has been named as one of the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists.’ In 2025, Dr. Friedman ranked as 34,203 out of the world’s roughly 5 million researchers who are assessed by Stanford University. Approximately 100,000 total researchers are included in the ‘World’s Top 2% Scientists’ listing.
Dr. Friedman earned her PhD in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2022, she received the Research Award from the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). Dr. Friedman also oversees the Disability Research Mentorship Program for Black Graduate Students. Throughout her career, Dr. Friedman has authored more than 440 publications, including 135 peer-reviewed journal articles, 152 knowledge translation research briefs, 121 monographs and technical reports, and 11 book chapters.
2025 Research Summary Articles
- Self-Direction in HCBS for Older Adults
- Discriminatory Provider Behaviors Contribute to Disabled People Delaying and Forgoing Medical Care
- Difficult, Challenging, and Worse Quality of Life: Health Care Professionals’ Beliefs about People with IDD
- Disparities in Quality of Life and Quality of Supports in HCBS
- Feeding Bias: Rethinking the Weight of People with IDD and Social Determinants of Health
- Intersectional Disability and Race Biases of Health Care Professionals
- Why Do People Become Occupational Therapists?
- The Symbolic Intersecting Ableism and Racism Scale: A New Way to Examine Explicit Attitudes
- Introducing the Intersecting Disability and Race Attitudes Implicit Association Test (IDRA-IAT)
- Autistic People’s Quality of Life Hindered by Low Quality Support, Not their Needs
Quality of Life Research
This research examines person-centered quality of life, including the impact of organizational supports on people with disabilities’ quality of life.
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Since 1969, CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership has been a leader in working with human service organizations and systems to continuously define, measure, and improve quality of life and quality of services for youth, adults, and older adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. CQL offers accreditation, training, certification, research, and consultation services to agencies that share our vision of dignity, opportunity, and community for all people.
Stanford University Lists CQL’s Dr. Carli Friedman Among ‘Top 2% Scientists’