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Christina McCrae

McCrae Sleep Research Lab

The McCrae Sleep Research Lab directed by Dr. Christina McCrae investigates the mechanisms underlying normal and pathological sleep, the link between sleep and cognition, the daily variability inherent in sleep and sleep-related behaviors, and the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral interventions to treat insomnia in diverse populations (e.g., children with autism spectrum disorders, overweight and obese individuals of all ages, older individuals, dementia caregivers, and medical populations, including pain, cardiac disease, cancer, and end stage renal disease). As a result of these research emphases, we collaborate with a broad range of investigators that specialize in aging, autism, cognition, cardiology, immunology, neuroimaging, neurology, nursing, obesity, pain, psycho-oncology, rheumatology, and sleep medicine.

  • NiteCAPP CARES & SHARES

    NiteCAPP is a clinical trial that compares two online cognitive behavioral sleep treatment tailored for rural dementia caregivers and their care recipients. Given rural caregivers’ limited schedule and access to healthcare, web-based sleep interventions allow for flexible at-home scheduling and treatment. This project will give us a better understanding of the roles of sleep and cognitive function in dementia and caregiver populations. The results of this study will provide insight into the development and maintain of insomnia in rural dementia caregivers. This study will also yield broader implications about other caregiver populations who suffer from chronic insomnia.

    SPIN Opioid

    SPIN Opioid aims to uncover how sleep influences chronic pain and the use of opioids. We are investigating whether sleep treatment can help people gradually reduce their reliance on opioids and prevent relapses.

    TeenSPARCC

    TeenSPARCC investigates how pain and sleep are connected in adolescents. This project also explores how factors like thoughts, alcohol and substance use, and mood play a role in this relationship. We hope to find information that will better help us understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sleep as well as how an adolescent’s mood can impact their parent’s sleep.

    Triumph

    Triumph aims to explore the level of interest that individuals express for online insomnia treatments. Specifically, we are investigating whether certain factors like age, medication or substance use, previous treatment history, the severity of insomnia, pain levels, mood, and cognitive factors are linked to greater or lesser interest in online insomnia interventions. We are examining these factors across different age groups, genders, and chronic pain status.

    RECHArge

    RECHArge is a clinical trial of family-based behavioral sleep interventions that has been specifically designed to target behavioral sleep problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The overall objective of this study is to test sleep interventions for children with ASD.

    NiteCAPP Spectrum Jr.

    This study aims to evaluate the suitability, practicality, and effectiveness of NiteCAPPSM SPECTRUM JR, an online program designed for school-age autistic children. Additionally, this project explores NiteCAPPSM SPECTRUM JR’s potential to alleviate anxiety and improve overall functioning and quality of life for both autistic children and their parents.

    Sleep Intervention for Chronic Insomnia Using Virtual Reality Pilot Study (iVR)

    iVR is a pilot clinical trial that examines virtual reality as an insomnia treatment. This study will give us a better understanding of how behavioral techniques (like relaxation) affects sleep, mood, and cognitive function in adults with insomnia.

  • Dr. Christina McCrae
    *current or former mentee, first or senior author

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Stearns* MA, Nair* N, Golzy M, Shenker J, Beversdorf DQ, Cottle A, & Rowe M. (in press, 07.04.2023). Development and initial evaluation of web-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia “NiteCAPPSM” in rural family dementia caregivers: A mixed-methods study Journal of Medical Internet Research.

    Miller MB, Carpenter RW, Freeman LK, Dunsiger S, McGeary J, Borsari B, McCrae CS, Arnedt JT, Korte P, Merrill J, Carey KB, & Metrik J. (in press 4.7.2023). Impact of CBT for Insomnia on Alcohol Treatment Outcomes among Veterans: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA Psychiatry.

    Miller MB, Monk JK, Flores LY, Everson AT, Martinez LD, Massey K, Blanke EM, Dorimé-Williams ML, Williams MS, McCrae CS, Borsari B. (2023). Impact of discrimination and coping on Veterans' willingness to seek treatment for physical and mental health problems. Psychol Addict Behav. 37:209-221. PMID: 35787102.

    Miller MB, Freeman LK, Aranda A, Shoemaker* S, Sisk D, Rubi S, Everson AT, Flores LY, Williams MS, Dorimé-Williams ML, McCrae CS, Borsari B. (2022). Prevalence and correlates of alcohol-induced blackout in a diverse sample of veterans. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 47(2):395-405. PMID: 36533546.

    McGovney KD, Curtis AF, McCrae CS. Actigraphic Physical Activity, Pain Intensity, and Polysomnographic Sleep in Fibromyalgia. (2023). Behav Sleep Med. 21:383-396. PMID: 35856908.

    Curtis* AF, Schmiedeler A, Musich M, Connell M, Miller* MB, McCrae CS. (2023). COVID-19-Related Anxiety and Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Examining Sex as a Moderator. Psychol Rep. 126:1260-1283. PMID: 35099322.

    Curtis*, A. F., Costa, A. N., Musich, M., Schmiedeler,  A., Jagannathan, S., Connell, M., Atkinson, A., Miller, M. B., & McCrae, CS. (2023). Sex as a moderator of the sleep and cognition relationship in middle-aged and older adults. Behavioral Sleep Medicine. 21:1-14. PMID: 36809223.

    Costa, AN, Curtis* AF, Musich M, Guandique* AA, & McCrae CS. (2023). Self-reported cognition in older adults with insomnia: Associations with sleep and domain specific cognition. Journal of Sleep Research, 32(1), e13751. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13751 PMID: 36217906.

    Costa AN, Nowakowski LM, McCrae CS, Cowan N, & Curtis* AF. (2023). Discrepancies in Objective and Subjective Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Does Personality Matter? Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 9, 23337214221146663. PMID: 36644685.

    Chan* WS, McCrae CS, Ng AS. Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Effective for Improving Sleep Duration in Individuals with Insomnia? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. (2023) Ann Behav Med. 57(6):428-441. PMID: 36461882.

    Roth* AJ, Curtis* AF, Rowe MA, McCrae CS. Using Telehealth to Deliver Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Insomnia to a Caregiver of a Person With Alzheimer's Disease. J Cogn Psychother. 2022 36(1):3-23. doi: 10.1891/JCPSY-D-20-00055. PMID: 35121676.

    Padron A, McCrae CS, Robinson ME, Waxenberg LB, Antoni MH, Berry RB, Castagno J, Schultz G, Kacel EL, Ulfig C, Garey S, Patidar S, Sannes T, Trinastic L, Wong S, Pereira DB. (2022). Impacts of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia and Pain on Sleep in Women with Gynecologic Malignancies: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Behav Sleep Med. 20(4):460-476. PMID: 34124972; PMCID: PMC8669057.

    Miller MB, Curtis AF, Hall NA, Freeman LK, Everson AT, Martinez LD, Park CJ, McCrae CS. Daily associations between modifiable sleep behaviors and nighttime sleep among young adult drinkers with insomnia. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022 Mar 1;18(3):703-712. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.9706. PMID: 34605392; PMCID: PMC8883105.

    Miller MB, Flores LY, Dorimé-Williams ML, Williams MS, Martinez LD, Freeman LK, Everson AT, Hall NA, Monk JK, McCrae CS, Borsari B. Motives for and Barriers to Research Participation Among Racially and Ethnically Diverse Veterans. Mil Med. 2022. PMID: 35584195.

    Miller MB, Carpenter RW, Freeman LK, Curtis AF, Yurasek AM, McCrae CS. Cannabis use as a moderator of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022 Apr 1;18(4):1047-1054. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.9796. PMID: 34870584; PMCID: PMC8974363.

    McGovney KD, Curtis AF, McCrae CS. Actigraphic Physical Activity, Pain Intensity, and Polysomnographic Sleep in Fibromyalgia. Behav Sleep Med. 2022 Jul 20:1-14. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2022.2102009. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35856908.

    McCrae CS, Craggs JG, Curtis* AF, Nair* N, Kay* D, Staud R, Berry RB, Robinson ME. (2022). Neural activation changes in response to pain following cognitive behavioral therapy for patients with comorbid fibromyalgia and insomnia: a pilot study. J Clin Sleep Med.  Jan 1;18(1):203-215. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.9540. PMID: 34310276; PMCID: PMC8807905.

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Cottle A, Beversdorf DB, Shenker J, Mooney BP, Popescu M, Rantz M, Groer M, Stein P, Golzy M, Stearns* MA, Simenson A, Nair N, Rowe MA. (2022). Impact of Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia on Stress, Health, Mood, Cognitive, Inflammatory, and Neurodegenerative Outcomes in Rural Dementia Caregivers: Protocol for the NiteCAPP CARES and NiteCAPP SHARES Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. PMID: 35700020; PMCID: PMC9240954.

    Hanvey GA, Padron A, Kacel EL, Cartagena G, Bacharz KC, McCrae CS, Robinson ME, Waxenberg LB, Antoni MH, Berry RB, Schultz GS, Castagno J, Pereira DB. Accrual and retention of diverse patients in psychosocial cancer clinical trials. J Clin Transl Sci. 2022 Apr 1;6(1):e45. doi: 10.1017/cts.2022.380. PMID: 35651964; PMCID: PMC9108002.

    Freeman LK, Miller MB, Simenson A, Sparrow E, Costa AN, Musich M, McCrae CS, Curtis AF. Sex differences in associations between alcohol use and sleep in mid-to-late life. Sleep Med. 2022 Dec;100:298-303. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2022.08.016. Epub 2022 Sep 2. PMID: 36152525.

    Curtis AF, Rodgers M, Miller MB, McCrae CS. Impact of Sex on COVID-19 Media Exposure, Anxiety, Perceived Risk, and Severity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults. J Aging Health. 2022 Jan;34(1):51-59. doi: 10.1177/08982643211025383. Epub 2021 Jun 11. PMID: 34114480.

    Curtis AF, Schmiedeler A, Musich M, Connell M, Miller MB, McCrae CS. COVID-19-Related Anxiety and Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Examining Sex as a Moderator. Psychol Rep. 2022 Jan 31:332941211064820. doi: 10.1177/00332941211064820. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35099322; PMCID: PMC8810388.

    Costa AN, McCrae CS, Cowan N, Curtis* AF. (2022). Paradoxical relationship between subjective and objective cognition: the role of sleep. J Clin Sleep Med. 18(8):2009-2022. PMID: 35638120; PMCID: PMC9340592.

    Brewster GS, Molinari V, McCrae C, Beckstead J, D’Aoust R, & Rowe M. (2022). Cognitive performance in poor sleeping caregivers of persons living with dementia. Western Journal of Nursing Research. 44:260-268, PMID: 34467789.

    Simon S, Stearns* M, Landis C, & McCrae CS. (in press). Sleep across childhood during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review of the literature and clinical case examples. Children’s Health Care.

    McCrae CS, Mazurek MO, Curtis* AF, Beversdorf DQ, Deroche CB, Sohl KA, Ner ZH, Davis BE, Stearns* MA & Nair* N. (revised, 04.19.21). Protocol for Targeting Insomnia in School Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial. BMJ: Open.

    Curtis* AF, Rodgers M, Miller* MB & McCrae CS. (in press). Impact of sex on COVID-19 media exposure, anxiety and perceived risk in middle-aged and older adults. Journal of Aging and Health.

    Miller* MB, Metrik J, McGeary JE, Borsari B, McCrae CS, Maddoux J, Arnedt JT, Merrill JE & Carey K B. (in press, 05.26.2021). Protocol for the Project SAVE Randomized Controlled Trial Examining CBT for Insomnia among Veterans in Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder. BMJ Open.

    Porter JW, Pettit-Mee RJ, Emerson TS, McCrae CS, Lastra G, Vieira-Potter VJ, Parks EJ & Kanaley JA. (in press, 04.16.2021). Modest sleep restriction does not influences steps, physical activity intensity, or glucose tolerance in obese adults. Journal of Sleep Research.

    Miller* MB, Freeman, LK, Park, CJ, Hall NA, Deroche CB, Sahota PK & McCrae CS. (in press). Insomnia treatment effects among young adult drinkers: Secondary outcomes of a randomized pilot trial. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

    Miller* MB, Freeman LK, Deroche CB, Park CJ, Hall NA & McCrae CS. (in press, 03.07.2021). Sleep and alcohol use among young adult drinkers with insomnia: A daily process model. Addictive Behaviors.

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Nair* N, Berry* J, Davenport* M, McGovney* K, Berry R, McCoy K, &  Marsiske M. (in press, 01.26.2021). Impact of a brief behavioral treatment for insomnia (BBTi) on metacognition in older adults. Sleep Medicine.

    Davenport* M, Berry* J, Mazurek MO, & McCrae CS. (2021). Using telehealth to deliver family-based cognitive behavioral treatment for insomnia in a school-aged child with autism. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy, 35, 235-254.

    Miller* MB, Curtis* AF, Chan WS, Robinson M, Staud R, Berry RB, & McCrae CS. (in press). Daily associations between sleep and opioid use among adults with insomnia and chronic pain. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

    McGovney* KD, Curtis* AF, & McCrae CS. (in press). Associations between Objective Afternoon and Evening Physical Activity and Objective Sleep in Patients with Fibromyalgia and Insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research

    Curtis AF, Dzierzewski JM, Buman MP, Giacobbi PR, Roberts BL, Morgan AA, Marsiske M, & McCrae CS. (in press). Preliminary Investigation of Interactive Associations of Sleep and Pain with Cognition in Sedentary Middle-aged and Older Adults. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

    Miller* MB, Deroche CB, Freeman LK, Park CJ, Hall NA, Sahota PK, & McCrae CS. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia among Young Adults Who are Actively Drinking: A Randomized Pilot Trial, Sleep, https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaa171.

    McCrae CS, Chan* WS, Curtis* AF, Deroche CB, Munoz M, Muckerman J, Takahashi N, McCann* D, McGovney* K, Sahota P & Mazurek MO. (2020). Telehealth delivery of cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary findings. Autism. [E-pub ahead of print  DOI: 10.1177/1362361320949078].

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Craggs J, Deroche C, Sahota P, Siva C, Staud R & Robinson ME. (2020). Protocol for the impact of CBT for insomnia on pain symptoms and central sensitization in fibromyalgia: A randomized controlled trial. BMJ Open. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-033760.

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Miller* MB, Nair* N, Rathinakumar* H, Davenport* M, Berry* J, McGovney* K, Staud R, Berry R, & Robinson M (2020). Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy on sleep and opioid medication use in adults with fibromyalgia and insomnia. Journal of Sleep Research. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13020. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 32126156.

    McCrae CS, Chan* WS, Curtis* AF, Deroche CB, Munoz M, Takamatsu S, Muckerman J, Takahashi N, McCann* D, McGovney* K, Sahota P & Mazurek MO. (2020). Cognitive behavioral treatment of insomnia in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Short report on preliminary findings. Autism Research, 13, 167-176. PMID: 31566918.

    McCrae CS, Curtis* AF, Williams* J, Dautovich* ND, McNamara* JPH, Stripling* A, Dzierzewski* JM, Berry RB, McCoy K & Marsiske M. (2019).Effects of brief behavioral therapy for insomnia on daily associations between sleep and cognition in older adults, Behavioral Sleep Medicine. doi:10.1080/15402002.2019.1632201. [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 31203649.

    Full list of publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/christina.mccrae.1/bibliography/41142966/public/?sort=date&direction=descending

  • Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: The primary responsibility of this postdoctoral fellow will be to coordinate a NIH funded RCT testing a web-based CBT-I administered prior to opioid tapering in individuals with chronic pain. Specific duties will include conducting ongoing projects, analyzing sleep and other data, developing and conducting future studies, neuroimaging, manuscript and grant preparation, and management of research assistants.                                                                                    

    Position: Postdoctoral Clinical/Research Fellowship: The primary responsibility of this postdoctoral fellow will be to recruit for a NIH funded RCT testing a web-based CBT-I for caregivers of persons with dementia. Fellow will also conduct behavioral sleep treatment with various populations. Fellows will have the opportunity to become involved in archival data analysis/manuscript preparation as well as ongoing studies examining sleep and its correlates (e.g., cognition, pain, brain structure and function, stress, mood, BMI) in individuals with autism, chronic pain, and/or obesity. Other specific duties will include conducting ongoing projects, analyzing sleep and other data, developing and conducting future studies, manuscript and grant preparation, and management of research assistants.

    Position: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship: The primary responsibility of this postdoctoral fellow will be to coordinate a DOD funded RCT testing CBT-CI with autistic children and their families. Specific duties will include conducting ongoing projects, analyzing sleep and other data, developing and conducting future studies, manuscript and grant preparation, and management of research assistants.

    Postdoctoral positions will provide a variety of clinical research experiences relevant to sleep psychology/behavioral sleep medicine. Fellows will have the opportunity to become involved in archival data analysis/manuscript preparation and ongoing studies examining sleep and its correlates (e.g., cognition, pain, brain structure and function, stress, mood, BMI) in individuals with autism, chronic pain, mild cognitive impairment, and other common medical conditions associated with chronic insomnia as well as familial caregivers of persons with dementia . A major emphasis of the research will be on the impact of improved sleep on those correlates. Required: PhD or PsyD in clinical psychology or a related field.

    Position: Project Coordinator: The primary responsibility of the project manager will be to support the lab’s various studies, including examining behavioral sleep treatments involving caregivers of persons with dementia, autistic children, individuals with chronic pain, etc. The lab manager will provide daily oversight of research trials, manage RAs, and support Dr. McCrae in grant activities. This may also involve aiding in recruitment efforts, conducting physiological assessments (e.g., actigraphy, heartrate variability, etc), neuroimaging procedures, etc. Required: BA or BS in clinical psychology or a related field.

    Position: Full-time Research Assistant: The primary responsibility of the research assistant will be to support the labs various studies, including examining behavioral sleep treatments involving caregivers of persons with dementia, autistic children, individuals with chronic pain, etc. This may involve aiding in recruitment efforts, conducting physiological assessments (e.g., actigraphy, heartrate variability, etc), neuroimaging procedures, etc. Required: BA or BS in clinical psychology or a related field.

    Applicants to all positions should demonstrate strong potential for a clinical research career, and have substantial experience in sleep psychology, behavioral sleep medicine, health psychology/behavioral medicine, or a related field.

    If interested, please email a brief cover letter and CV to: christinamccrae@usf.edu

    For more information, please email: christinamccrae@usf.edu

Meet the Team

McCrae-Christina

Christina S. McCrae, PhD-- Principal Investigator

Dr. McCrae received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Washington University in St. Louis in 1999. Her research on sleep uses and often modifies established behavioral and cognitive behavioral interventions to treat clinic insomnia and related conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety, pain, fatigue). Chronic insomnia typically occurs in the context of other conditions and stressors, her research impacts a wide variety of patients (children with autism spectrum disorders, chronic pain, cardiac disease, cancer, end-stage renal disease) and other populations (older adults, overweight and obese individuals of all ages, dementia and other caregivers). Her program of interdisciplinary clinical research is intended to contribute to the establishment of best practices in behavioral healthcare based on evidence, to enhance quality of life in individuals with insomnia, to elucidate the mechanisms underlying chronic insomnia and related conditions, and to train future generations of clinical scientists.

 

Angeline Saint Fleur

Angeline Saint Fleur-- Graduate Research Assistant

Angeline is currently a PhD student at the University of South Florida, in the College of Nursing. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Florida in 2018. Her desire to understand how sleep impacts health and the use of cognitive behavioral therapies has led her to pursue a graduate research assistant position at the McCrae Sleep Research Lab.  Her current research interests include hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, maternal mental health, and health disparities. She understands that sleep plays a role in maternal mental health and pregnancy. Therefore, she hopes to integrate sleep, along with cognitive behavioral therapies, in her future research in this population. Angeline is excited to be a part of the lab’s mission to improve the sleep quality of various populations experiencing sleep difficulties.

Chloe Rzeppa

Chloe Rzeppa--Project Coordinator/Lab Manager

Chloe is from Chicago, IL and graduated from the University of Missouri in 2023 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology with additional certificates in Neuroscience and Multicultural studies. Her goal is to get into a PhD program for Neuropsychology to study developmental and aging disorders. Currently she works as the lab manager for Dr. McCrae’s Sleep Research Lab and is very excited to work with the aging populations. Some of her hobbies include cooking, writing, and hiking.

Annie Martin

Annie Martin-- Research Assistant

Annie is a recent graduate of Washington and Lee University and received her B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Science in 2023. Her enthusiasm for understanding the impact of mental health conditions on sleep mechanisms led her to pursue research at the McCrae Sleep Research Lab. With a particular interest in child development, she aims to explore and gain insights into their sleep habits and development through her research. Motivated by a desire to improve the lives of those with sleep difficulties, Annie is excited to explore potential interventions that can make a meaningful difference in their well-being.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Christopher Eugene is currently an undergraduate student at the University of South Florida. He is studying biology and plans to become a doctor. With one of his interests being neurology, this research provides an insight into cognitive science that can further his knowledge within the field.

Deweena Zacharias is a junior at the University of South Florida majoring in Biomedical Sciences and pursuing minors in Public Health and Psychology. Ever since she was a child, her interests have revolved around healthcare, specifically in pediatrics, which propelled her into the pre-medical track and working directly with patients through scribing, volunteering at TGH, and has led her to the McCrae Sleep Research Lab. As a young college student, sleep never tends to be a priority among most individuals, specifically students, and the detrimental effects are usually overlooked. Deweena is thrilled to be a part of the lab and to be involved in works that could improve physical and cognitive health and prevent future impairments through the refinement of sleep behaviors. 

Liam Mahony is a junior majoring in Philosophy. One of the main reasons he chose to research in the McCrae sleep lab was to further his professional ambitions working with a special needs population. For the past two years, he was employed at a summer camp catering to children with social, emotional, and learning challenges, including autism, ODD, and ADHD. Whether in the role of a camp counselor or as a supervisor guiding staff toward success, he is a strong advocate for a personalized and nurturing therapeutic approach when working with special needs populations. Combining his hands-on involvement at camp along with the data-driven analytical advantages provided by the sleep lab, this research opportunity will undoubtedly enhance his expertise in the field and further reinforce his career goals.

Olivia Dydzuhn is a senior majoring in psychology, with a concentration in advanced research in psychology and a minor in children’s behavioral healthcare. Her past experiences include an internship with the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay doing crisis counseling, and research with a Comparative Psychology Lab collecting data on how animal training can increase their attractiveness. She is excited to work in the McCrae Sleep Research Laboratory to help make an impact in this important research topic and gain further experience to bring into her clinical psychology career.

Bia Doh is a freshman from Arizona majoring in Biomedical Sciences. She is excited to be part of this lab because sleep research is something she is unfamiliar with. She loves learning new things and anything related to psychology so she believes this will be an eye-opening experience for her.

Angela Paulson is currently an undergraduate student at the University of South Florida in the College of Public Health and Judy Genshaft Honors College. As a public health major, preventative and primary care has always been a strong interest for her. When she heard about Dr. McCrae's Sleep Lab, she was immediately intrigued by how daily activities, like sleep, can impact one's health.

Rufei Chen is currently an undergraduate student at USF who is majoring in Biomedical Sciences; she is also a part of the Judy Genshaft Honors College. Rufei is very excited to enroll in the McCrae Sleep Lab Research as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. As an enthusiast in pursuing a career in the medical/clinical field in the future, Rufei wishes to gain valuable clinical experience and knowledge from this research lab. Moreover, Rufei is highly interested in psychology and has taken relevant courses in the past, thus, she looks forward to applying her knowledge on psychology to this research, and also to gain new knowledge related to the psychology field.

Tram Le is a Biomedical Engineering major. Her field of interest is healthcare and she would love to learn more about people’s health and delve into topics such as sleep quality and insomnia. Working in the McCrae Sleep Research Lab will allow her to obtain a variety of research skills and knowledge surrounding sleep.

 

 

Lab Alumni

Melanie Stearns

Melanie Stearns, PhD

Melanie A. Stearns received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Mississippi State University and is currently the director of the Family, Adolescent, Child, and Caregiver Translational Sleep (FACCTS) Lab. She is broadly interested in child and caregiver physical and mental health, including sleep, oppositional behaviors, and stress. She is also interested in parenting behaviors and how they impact child and caregivers. She is currently involved in several lines of research which involve improving sleep in specialized populations such as children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and grandfamilies (grandparents raising grandchildren and their grandchildren).

Contact: mstearns@usf.edu

Kevin McGovney

Kevin McGovney

Kevin is a fifth-year student in the clinical psychology doctoral program at the University of Missouri. He has worked in Dr. Christina McCrae's lab since 2017, where he started as an undergraduate research assistant. He is trained in providing assessment and treatment to individuals experiencing pain and insomnia. Additionally, his research interests primarily involve the examination of physical activity, sleep, and pain.

Contact: kdmvff@mail.missouri.edu