The Researcher

Professor and Interim Chair, UW Department of Psychosocial and Community Health

Co-Director of the Center for Innovation in Sleep Self-Management (CISSM)

Affiliate Researcher, Center for Health Innovation and Policy Science

My current work seeks to find solutions to treat sleep deficiency (inadequate quantity or quality of sleep), in school-age children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and other chronic conditions (lupus, chronic pain).

Sleep deficiency is strongly associated with chronic health conditions, affecting an estimated 40% of children and adolescents. Sleep deficiency is a serious problem for youth because it is associated with increased symptoms of pain & fatigue, poorer health-related quality of life, and increased healthcare utilization.  Despite the pervasiveness of sleep deficiency, neither children nor their parents receive any training in self-management strategies (activation, motivation, self-efficacy) to improve sleep quantity and quality before transitioning into adolescence. Studies in other chronic health conditions show that sleep deficiency is associated with lack of self-monitoring and goal setting  – important components of self-management. Clinical resources to address sleep deficiency are either not available or long waiting period, creating a significant unmet clinical need. My team and I are developing self-management interventions that will be delivered to families in an accessible format.

Our long-term goal is to develop effective and low cost treatments to reduce sleep deficiency and the sleep-related health consequences among children with JIA. This project will provide findings regarding the benefits of a cost-effective intervention that could be implemented on a large scale to improve sleep health in children with chronic conditions and their parents. The Internet offers a unique opportunity to reach adolescents with JIA and provide the training in self-management strategies that otherwise may not occur due to treatment access and resource obstacles.