DARIEN, IL — The AASM Foundation, in partnership with the RLS Foundation, is proud to announce the first jointly funded restless legs syndrome-focused grant awarded through the AASM Foundation’s Focused Projects Grant for Junior Investigators. The grant supports early-career investigators pursuing mentored research that advances understanding, diagnosis, management and treatment of restless legs syndrome, or RLS, and periodic limb movement disorder, or PLMD.
The funding opportunity was created to support junior investigators conducting RLS-focused research and to help build a stronger pipeline of researchers in the field. Through this partnership, the organizations aim to provide early-career investigators with the funding and mentorship needed to establish independent research careers and become competitive for larger federal grant opportunities.
The 2026 grant was awarded to Katie Cederberg, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, for her project, “Investigating the Mechanisms of Restless Legs Syndrome: An Omics-Driven Approach for Identifying Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets.” Her research will leverage large cohort datasets to identify blood-based biomarkers associated with RLS and explore the biological mechanisms underlying the disorder. The project aims to identify objective biomarkers that could improve diagnosis while advancing understanding of the biological pathways underlying the disorder and informing future therapies.
“This collaboration reflects the AASM Foundation’s commitment to investing in promising investigators whose work can improve sleep health and patient care,” said Dr. Lynn Marie Trotti, president of the AASM Foundation. “By partnering with the RLS Foundation, we are helping create opportunities for early-career researchers to address important gaps in RLS and PLMD research and lay the groundwork for long-term success.”
The grant supports mentored projects focused on one or more research priorities related to RLS, including investigations of specific endotypes and phenotypes affecting subgroups such as children, women, pregnant patients and patients with diabetes, iron deficiency or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Other focus areas include precision treatment approaches for RLS and PLMD populations, the development of new technologies to detect, manage or treat RLS and PLMD, and the use of tele-based or remote diagnostic and management technologies.
“The RLS Foundation is pleased to partner with the AASM Foundation on this important effort to advance research in RLS,” said Karla Dzienkowski, executive director of the RLS Foundation. “Supporting junior investigators is essential to expanding the research community, encouraging new ideas and improving care for people affected by RLS and related disorders.”
Through this partnership, the AASM Foundation and RLS Foundation are helping create a dedicated space for early-career RLS researchers to pursue meaningful scientific questions, receive mentorship and contribute to future advances in patient care.
For more information about the AASM Foundation, visit foundation.aasm.org. For more information about the RLS Foundation, visit rls.org.
About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation
The AASM Foundation is the official philanthropic arm of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Our values, programs, and purpose are focused on investing in people, research, and communities to improve the sleep health of all people. Since 1998, the AASM Foundation has distributed more than $31.5 million in grants and awards that are making a critical impact in improving sleep health.
About the RLS Foundation
The RLS Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of the millions who live with restless legs syndrome. Founded in 1992, the Foundation’s goals are to increase awareness, improve treatments and advance research for a cure. The Foundation serves healthcare providers, researchers, 6,000 members and an estimated 12 million individuals (10 million adults and 1.5 million children) in the U.S. who have RLS (rls.org).
