Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School; Director, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

Sleep research has been very good to me! From a small-town childhood, I landed at Gettysburg College, where I studied psychology, played field hockey and tennis, and made many life-long friends. I then moved west and was a research assistant at the Stanford Sleep Lab before attending graduate school there from 1976 to 1979, receiving a Ph.D. in neuro- and biobehavioral sciences, specializing in sleep research. I worked with Dr. William C. Dement and many other wonderful scientists and students at Stanford before moving to RI to start my own research group in 1985. At Bradley Hospital and Brown University, I have been privileged to do research supported by the NIMH, NINR, NHLBI, NASA, the Grass Foundation, and NIAAA. I have also had the great pleasure of working with a terrific group of scientists, students, research participants, and their families. My science has also allowed me to travel all over the US and Canada, many European countries, Israel, Jordan, and Australia. Do science and see the world, I say! Whenever weather permits, I enjoy playing tennis and goofing around with golf!

Adjunct Assistant Professor (Research), Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown Medical School; Affiliated Faculty, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I was raised in Colorado but came to the east coast as soon as I had a choice. I have an A.B. as a political science major (Vassar College), an M.A. in Developmental Psychology (Teachers College, Columbia Univ.) and a Ph.D. in Biobehavioral Sciences (Univ. of CT). My dissertation research involved many long, long hours recording everything mothers and babies did, both together and apart. I chose to analyze the infant sleep/wake data for my dissertation because it seemed so much less complex than the mother-infant interaction data. I have learned a bit since then about complexity. I have recently taken a position with Cephalon, Inc. as a Medical Science Liaison so my primary work is no longer research, although I visit many of the top research scientists in New England as part of my job. Photography takes up most of my free time.

Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Brown Medical School; Medical Advisor, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

Dr. Judith Owens is an internationally-recognized authority on pediatric sleep and the author of over 100 original research and review articles in peer-review journals, chapters, and books on the topic. Her particular research interests are in the neurobehavioral and health consequences of sleep problems in children, pharmacologic treatment of pediatric sleep disorders, sleep health education, and cultural and psychosocial issues impacting on sleep. As a recipient of a 5-year NIH grant in sleep education, the Sleep Academic Award, she has developed educational materials for the Brown Medical School, as well as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). Dr. Owens received the AASM 2006 Excellence in Education Award, and recently completed a 4 year term as the Chair of the AASM Section on Childhood Sleep Disorders and Development. Dr. Owens is the Director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the Learning, Attention, and Behavior Program at Rhode Island Hospital. She received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Brown and a Master’s in Maternal and Child Health from the University of Minnesota. She completed pediatric residency training at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and fellowships in Behavioral Pediatrics at Minneapolis Children’s Medical Center and in Child Psychiatry at Brown University. She is board certified in Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics and Sleep Medicine, and is an Associate Professor Pediatrics at the Brown Medical School. In addition to her training and current position, her favorite thing is being mother of Evan 18 and Grace 15.

Researcher
Assistant Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry & Human Behavior

I grew up in Rhode Island and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Psychology. After college, I spent three years as a research assistant here at the Bradley Sleep Laboratory. In 1994, I moved to Chicago, IL, to enroll in the MD/PhD program at Rush University. There, I worked with Dr. Charmane Eastman studying melatonin and shift work. I graduated in 2002 and stayed at Rush to complete my residency in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry. I have now come full circle: in July, 2007, I moved back to Rhode Island where I practice sleep medicine and am busy getting my research career underway. My main research interests are in sleep and mood regulation. I am also interested in women's health. Outside of the lab, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two little boys as well as my extended family.

Research Associate, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I grew up in a typical maritime village in Nova Scotia, and then moved to the city of Halifax to study psychology and neuroscience at Dalhousie University. After my undergraduate degree, I moved to the United States and attended Boston College, where I completed graduate degrees in the fields of neuroscience and cognitive science. Along the way, research methods and statistics became one of my specializations. After teaching for two years as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Boston College, I moved to Rhode Island and joined the Sleep Lab in September of 2008. My core interests involve how we integrate information from different sensory systems to form our perceptual experience; how perturbations within the individual and their environment can impact information processing; and ultimately how we can reduce the impact of these perturbations on the individual. Outside of the lab, I enjoy ultimate Frisbee and quality time with friends and family. In the words of Garrison Keillor, “Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.”

Research Associate, Department of Psychology, Brown University; E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA in 2000 with a B.A. in Psychology. While at Holy Cross, I became interested in the field of sleep and circadian rhythms and had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Amy Wolfson. Upon graduating from Holy Cross, I spent three years in Chicago, IL where I worked with Dr. Charmane Eastman studying shift work and jet lag. In May 2003 I moved closer to home to Rhode Island and started graduate school in the Department of Psychology at Brown University. I earned a doctoral degree in Experimental Psychology in November 2008. My main research interest focuses on developmental changes in sleep and circadian rhythms. My doctoral dissertation project, which is funded by NIMH and Apollo Health, Inc., investigates how weekend sleep behavior in high school students affects circadian timing.
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Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University; EP Bradley Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab.

I grew up on the other side of the Pond, in Brittany, France, which is not so different from Rhode Island: ocean, seafood, beaches. I then moved to Paris and studied medicine at the University of Versailles - Saint Quentin en Yvelines. I received my Medical Degree with a specialization in Psychiatry as well as a board in Sleep Medicine in 2008. In parallel to Med School and Residency in Psychiatry, I have been collaborating with Pr. Damien Leger at the Sleep and Wakefulness Center (Hotel-Dieu Hospital, Paris) since 1998. I was a research assistant involved in studies on shift work, jetlag and chronic insomnia. I had the great opportunity to work with wonderful Pr. Christian Guilleminault and his team at Stanford Sleep Lab. I spent a summer there learning Sleep Medicine and taking part to research studies on sleep restriction. More recently, thanks to the Stanford France Exchange Program, I worked with Pr. Rachel Manber on CBT Insomnia Workshops. In Paris, I practiced Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine at the European Sleep Center. Currently, I am a postdoc research fellow at Bradley Sleep Lab and my fields of interest are ADHD and sleep apnea. I enjoy spending my weekends hiking, biking, as well as visiting places as Boston, Cape Cod and Newport.

Administrative Secretary, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I have been fortunate enough to be the lab secretary since 1998. It's rewarding to know that my administrative support is helping such a dedicated group of scientists. When I'm not moving around a tall stack of papers on my desk, I live happily with my family in a quiet neighborhood in a sleepy (naturally) suburb.
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Sleep Research Technologist, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I started out at the Sleep Lab as a Dement Fellow in 2006 and rolled over to full-time staff after finishing up my Bachelor of Science degree at McGill University in Montreal. I majored in Psychology with a minor in Neuroscience, though most of my coursework was Biology/Neuroscience based. Currently I head up the technical team here at the lab. In my spare time I like to dabble in jazz trumpet and play around with computers. I'm also a huge political junkie. You can catch me soaking up copious amounts of NPR and West Wing episodes whenever I get the chance. I plan to go to grad school and earn my Ph.D. studying sleep and memory.

Medical Technologist, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I am a graduate of the University of Rhode Island and for the past fifteen years I have worked in both clinical and research laboratories. I joined the Sleep Lab in November 2004. I am responsible for assaying saliva samples for melatonin and cortisol. I'm enjoying learning about the process of what goes on before and after the samples are collected. In my spare time I like to ski, bike ride and play board games with my husband and our two sons.

Sleep Research Assistant, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I graduated from Wesleyan University in May 2002 with a BA in Psychology. I joined the Bradley Sleep Lab in September 2002 as a Research Assistant after working at the Wesleyan Sleep and Depression Lab during my last two years at Wesleyan. I plan on attending graduate school in the near future to obtain my Ph.D. in Psychology. I enjoy basketball, live music, and card games. I also try to golf occasionally.
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Sleep Research Assistant, E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

I graduated in May, 2003 from Providence College with a Bachelors in Psychology and a minor in music. I began working at the Bradley Sleep Lab in September of 2003. It's been a rewarding experience and I have learned a lot about sleep and the intricacies of the research process. I also serve as coordinator of recruitment activities and work to "spread the word" about the opportunities available for volunteers to participate in our research. In May, 2009 I graduated from Rhode Island College with a Masters Degree in Counseling and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in School Psychology. I hope to apply the research skills I've acquired working at the lab to making data-driven decisions as a school psychologist and eventually become involved in research in the field of education. When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our puppy, my family and friends, watching my favorite baseball team hopefully win some games, and spending time outdoors.