University of Rochester Sleep & Neurophysiology Research Laboratory

About Us

Laboratory Director
    Michael L Perlis Ph.D.
             

Dr. Perlis is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of Rochester. He is the Director of the UR Sleep Research Laboratory and Director of the UR Behavioral Sleep Medicine Service.

His areas of expertise include sleep in psychiatric disorders and neurocognitive phenomena in insomnia, the mechanisms of action of sedative hypnotics and the development of alternative treatments for insomnia. His clinical expertise is in the area of Behavioral Sleep Medicine and he is the principle author of the first text book in this field (Treating Sleep Disorders: The Principles and Practice of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Wiley & Sons) and is the Senior author of a textbook on The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.

He has authored or co-authored a variety of papers and chapters on the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders and published more than 45 empirical or theoretical papers on sleep related topics and his is on the editorial boards of SLEEP and The Journal of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

In addition to his academic endeavors, he has served as Assistant Director of Training for the SRS (1996-2000) and as the founding editor of the SRS & AASM Training Opportunities in Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Manual. Dr. Perlis was a founding member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine Presidential Committee on Behavioral Sleep Medicine, the section chair for Behavioral Sleep Medicine (2003-2004), and is the coordinator of the Early Career Faculty Development Group (aka the Junior Faculty in Sleep Research Interest Group).

Research Interests

High frequency EEG activity in insomnia as a measure of cortical arousal (NIMH)

Memory and information processing in insomnia (Salzman)

Information processing at sleep onset in insomnia as measured by ERPs.

Insomnia as a risk factor for new onset and recurrent depression (MDD).

The antidepressant effects of CBT for insomnia and its potential as a means

of protecting patients with MDD against new onset episodes and recurrence.

The relative efficacy of behavioral and pharmacologic treatments of insomnia

The relative efficacy of CBT Tx for insomnia in patients with Primary and Secondary Insomnia (secondary to Major Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Chronic Pain and Cancer).

Effectiveness of sedative hypnotics when used intermittently and long term (Lorex Pharmaceuticals, Elan Pharmaceuticals)

The effects of modafinil on the sleep and daytime function in patients with insomnia (Cephalon Pharmaceuticals)

The value of “chonobiotics” (e.g., Melatonin) for treating circadian dysrhythmia in insomnia.

Patient preferences with respect to sedative hypnotics and patterns of medication use when allowed ad libitum use.

The development of novel treatments for insomnia (e.g., neurofeedback).

Conditioned arousal model of insomnia in the rat.

TRAINING Hx.

Dr. Perlis has a long-standing interest in, and experience with, sleep research and sleep disorders medicine. His experience in these areas began in 1984. Since that time he has been privileged to work and train in a number of settings with sleep research, sleep medicine and behavioral sleep medicine foci, including: two years as a research assistant at The Sleep & Neuropharmacology Laboratory of the National Institutes of Health (Mentor: Wallace B. Mendelson, MD) and one year as the coordinator of the Clinical Sleep Research Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania (Supervisor: Steven James, MD). Dr. Perlis received his Masters (1991) and Ph.D. (1994) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona (Mentor: Richard Bootzin, Ph.D.), completed clinical training at Brown University (Mentors: Donald Posner, Ph.D. & Mary Carskadon, PhD), and completed his research training as an NRSA Fellow at The Sleep and Chronobiology Center, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh (Mentors: Daniel J. Buysse, MD & Michael E. Thase, MD). Dr. Perlis was mentored by Donna E. Giles during the Jr. faculty phase of his career.

A Final Note re: Training
I have been blessed to have had access to supportive and nurturing mentors and am clear, now if not in the past, how critical such people are to one’s academic development. The best way I can thank you all is to respond “in kind” – though I know the debt of gratitude can never be fully paid.