Organization profile

Organization profile

Director: Alexandros Vgontzas, MD

The Sleep Research and Treatment Center was founded in 1971 at Penn State College of Medicine by Anthony Kales, MD founding chair of the Department of Psychiatry and pioneer in sleep disorders medicine and sleep research. He along with Dr. Edward Bixler and other colleagues published many ground-breaking studies in clinical translational, epidemiology and health outcomes related to sleep and arousal disorders. Dr. Bixler through NIH funding established several large cohorts in men (1990), women (1995) and children (2000). The child cohort has been awarded by NHLBI to follow-up this population twice, the last headed by Dr. Fernandez-Mendoza. Having built strong collaborations widely throughout Penn State and with extramural national and international institutions, STRC has received funding from diverse federal and foundation sponsors. The Center throughout its existence has been a magnet for scientists from the United States and abroad who later on built their own sleep centers throughout the States and the World. The Center also supports many educational and outreach programs.