Faculty

Brant P Hasler, PhD

Brant P Hasler, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical and Translational Science

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email
Website
Center for Sleep and Circadian Science

Education & Training

PhD
Clinical Psychology, University of Arizona, School of Mind, Brain and Behavior
Clinical Psychology, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Translational Research Training in Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

Professional Affiliations

Member, Sleep Research Society
Member, Association for Psychological Science
Member, Research Society on Alcoholism

Selected Honors & Awards

Philip Troen, MD Excellence in Medical Student Research Mentoring Award, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Junior Investigator Award, Research Society on Alcoholism
Dissertation Research Award, American Psychological Association

Research Interests

Sleep and circadian rhythms; Affective neuroscience; Mood and substance use disorders
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Hasler BP, Allen JJB, Sbarra DA, Bootzin RR, Bernert RA. Morningness-eveningness and depression: Preliminary evidence for the role of BAS and positive affect. Psychiatry Research, 176, 166-173, 2010. PMCID: PMC2844473
  2. Hasler BP, Buysse DJ, Kupfer DJ, Germain A. Phase relationships between core body temperature, melatonin, and sleep are associated with depression severity: Further evidence for circadian misalignment in non-seasonal depression. Psychiatry Research, 178(1), 205-207, 2010. PMCID: PMC2914120.
  3. Hasler BP, Clark DB. Circadian misalignment, reward functioning, and adolescent alcohol involvement. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 37(4), 558-565, 2013. PMCID: PMC3843484
  4. Hasler BP, Sitnick SL, Shaw DS, Forbes EE. An altered neural response to reward may contribute to alcohol problems among late adolescents with an evening chronotype. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 214, 357-364, 2013. PMCID: PMC3852171
  5. Hasler BP, Franzen PL, de Zambotti M, Prouty D, Brown SA, Tapert SF, Pfefferbaum A, Pohl KM, Sullivan EV, DeBellis MD, Nagel BJ, Colrain IM, Baker FC, Clark DB. Eveningness and later sleep timing are associated with greater risk for alcohol and marijuana involvement: Initial findings from the NCANDA study. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 41, 1154-1165, 2017.

Clinical Interests

Behavioral sleep medicine; Chronotherapeutics

Education Interests

Research mentorship; Supervision in behavioral sleep medicine

Health Psychology: Effect of Daily Discrimination on Naturalistic Sleep Health Features in Young Adults

Dr. Sarah Pedersen

Poor sleep health is associated with negative physical and mental health outcomes. Some populations—including Black individuals and those with other minoritized racial and ethnic identities—experience inequities in sleep health. The determinants of sleep health inequities are complex and include social, environmental, behavioral, and biological factors. In particular, interpersonal discrimination can contribute to...

New Research: Self-reported Sleep and Circadian Characteristics Predict Alcohol and Cannabis Use

Although multiple specific sleep characteristics can contribute to risk factors for alcohol and cannabis use and related problems in later adolescence and young adulthood, most research has examined a limited range of sleep characteristics within a narrow age span. In a recent study, Pitt Psychiatry investigators including Brant Hasler, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical and...

University of Pittsburgh Awards Tenure to Brant Hasler, PhD

University of Pittsburgh Awards Tenure to Brant Hasler, PhD

We are delighted to announce that Brant Hasler, PhD, has been appointed Tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry by the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Hasler’s research focuses on the role of sleep and circadian rhythms in regulating affect and motivation, particularly as they pertain to affective disorders and substance abuse in adolescents. He uses a combination of experimental and observational methods—including...

New Research in Psychological Medicine and Human Brain Mapping on the Effects of Disrupted Sleep and Early Life Stress in Young People

New Research on the Effects of Disrupted Sleep and Early Life Stress in Young People

Psychological Medicine: Experimentally Imposed Circadian Misalignment Alters the Neural Response to Monetary Rewards and Response Inhibition in Healthy Adolescents During adolescence, circadian rhythm and natural sleep and wake times shift later, which can conflict with early school-start times. This incongruence commonly results in circadian misalignment (mismatch between the behavioral sleep-wake schedule and the...

Pitt Psychiatry Hosts a Tremendous Research “Half” Day

2021 Research Day

On June 9, 2021, the Department of Psychiatry held its 2nd virtual Research Day, featuring presentations on health equity research, a speed dat(a)ing session, a keynote address, and honors and awards. The event was billed as a Research “Half” Day, as we hope and expect for the second half of the event, a poster session, to occur in person. (Date: October 5, 2021. Stay tuned to our events page for details!) Below is...