The AASM Foundation congratulates the thirty early career researchers selected to participate in the 15th annual Young Investigators Research Forum, taking place virtually March through May 2023, with an in-person meeting through April 26-28, 2023. This innovative research training program supplies career-building education and unique networking opportunities to early professional sleep specialists as they begin their career in sleep and circadian research.

The forum is built on an encouraging and supportive research community where this year’s cohort of trainees will be able to learn from one another and work with some of the most esteemed leaders in sleep research.

During their time at the forum, trainees will gain the necessary skills for a productive and successful research career by presenting and refining their research ideas, develop their career goals and build long-lasting professional relationships in the sleep community. By the end of the program, these individuals will be granted newly sharpened research skills, a greater knowledge of funding opportunities, refined research ideas and lively confidence to thrive in academia.

Congratulations to the Young Investigators Research Forum 2023 Trainees!

The following trainees were selected to receive a scholarship by the AASM Foundation to participate in the Young Investigators Research Forum 2023:

Lauren Barber, PhD, MSc
Emory University

Anthony Briggs, PhD
NYU Langone Health

Yi Cai, MD
University of Pennsylvania

Christopher Cano, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital

Katie Cederberg, PhD
Stanford University

Rebecca Cox, PhD
University of Colorado

Johanna Elumn, PhD
Yale University

Sarah Ferraro, PhD
Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School

Desiree Garcia Anton, MD
University of Miami

Chenlu Gao, PhD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital

Suzanne Gorovoy, PhD
University of Arizona

Nicole Gumport, PhD
Stanford University

Melissa Horger, PhD
Temple University

Asuka Ishihara, PhD
National Institute of Health

Sullafa Kadura, MD, MBA
University of Rochester Medical Center

Jess Meyer, PhD, MS, MA
University of Kansas Medical Center

Alyssa Minnick, PhD
University of Pennsylvania

Ogechukwu Obiano, MD
University of Iowa

Shameka Phillips, PhD, MSN
University of Washington

Sachin Shah, MD, MS
Indiana University School of Medicine

Oleksii Shandra, PhD
Florida International University

Cynthia Tchio, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital

Zhikui Wei, MD, PhD
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Chia-Lun Yang, PhD
University of Michigan

Westley Youngren, PhD
Canandaigua VA Center of Excellence for Suicide Research

In collaboration with the AASM Foundation, the following trainees were selected to receive a scholarship by the SRS Foundation to participate in the Young Investigators Research Forum 2023:

Sydney Aten, PhD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School

Leandro Brito, PhD
Oregon Health and Science University

Ian Greenlund, PhD
Mayo Clinic

Luciana Giorgio Cosenzo, PhD, MSW
University of Alabama School of Social Work

Amy Hartman, PhD, OTR/L
University of Pittsburgh

Meet all our Young Investigators Research Forum Trainees. The 2023 Young Investigators Research Forum is made possible thanks to our lead sponsor  Avadel Pharmaceuticals  with additional support from ResMed.