The Center for Sleep and Circadian Science Hosts Outstanding Three-Day Training and Research Innovation Event
Over the course of three days in early November, the Center for Sleep and Circadian Science hosted the Fall 2021 SWIM (Sleep and Circadian Workshop on Indispensable Methods) Workshop and the Center’s 6th Annual Sleep and Circadian Science Research Day.
SWIM is an intensive training program on state-of-the-art sleep and circadian science research methodologies. Twenty-nine trainees from across the US participated in the two-day workshop, led by Martica Hall, PhD (Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical and Translational Science), with support from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded R31 grant. The fall 2021 program included seminars, networking opportunities, and roundtable discussions, as well as symposia focused on fostering diversity and inclusivity in sleep and circadian science; characteristics of a successful sleep and circadian scientist; and on writing clear, concise, and compelling specific aims.
The 6th Annual Sleep and Circadian Science Research Day is a multidisciplinary event that included colleagues from the Pitt Departments of Medicine, Psychology, Epidemiology, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Sports Medicine and Nutrition, and Emergency Medicine; and from the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. Kenneth Wright, PhD (Professor of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado, Boulder), delivered a keynote speech, “The Impact of Circadian Misalignment on Health.” Additional activities included two symposia, a poster session, and a data blitz.
The Sleep Research Day was organized by Adriane Soehner, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry). Speakers included Meredith Wallace, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Statistics, and Biostatistics); Rachel Conlon, PhD (Research Instructor in Psychiatry); Lauren DePoy, PhD (postdoctoral scholar); Michelle Stepan, PhD (postdoctoral scholar); and Daniel Buysse, MD (Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science).
“We were thrilled at the turnout for this year’s Center for Sleep and Circadian Science Research Day. The event brought together researchers, clinicians, and students across disciplines, which led to stimulating conversations and helped expand our sleep community here in Pittsburgh,” said Dr. Soehner.