Global Symposium on Racing Speaker: Dr. Michael Grandner
Dr. Michael A. Grandner is a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson, with additional faculty appointments in Medicine, Psychology, Nutritional Sciences, and Clinical and Translational Science. He is Director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona and Director of Behavioral Sleep Medicine Services at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson. A licensed clinical psychologist and Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, his clinical work focuses on evidence-based, non-medication approaches to insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and other sleep-related concerns.
Dr. Grandner's research examines the role of sleep and circadian health in physical health, mental health, and daytime functioning. His work addresses three broad areas: (1) the downstream cardiovascular, metabolic, cognitive, and behavioral consequences of insufficient or disrupted sleep; (2) the upstream social, behavioral, environmental, and biological factors that shape sleep, including sleep health disparities; and (3) the development, evaluation, and implementation of interventions to improve sleep at the individual, clinical, community, and population levels. His research spans cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, mental health and suicide risk, sleep and circadian measurement, and the use of emerging technologies to assess and improve sleep. A central goal of his work is to translate sleep science into practical strategies that improve health and well-being in real-world settings.
Dr. Grandner has authored or coauthored more than 350 scientific articles and book chapters, including publications in JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, Circulation, SLEEP, Sleep Health, and other leading journals. He is the editor of the textbook Sleep and Health, now in its second edition, and has served in editorial roles for several scientific journals, including Sleep Health and SLEEP. His work has received awards from the Sleep Research Society, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, American Heart Association, and other organizations. He is an elected Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Heart Association, and Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Grandner has played a prominent role in advancing the recognition of sleep as a fundamental component of health. He was a coauthor of the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 framework, which formally incorporated sleep into the definition of cardiovascular health, and served as the inaugural Chair of the American Heart Association's Sleep Health Committee. He has contributed to several major scientific statements on sleep, circadian rhythms, and cardiovascular health, including serving as Vice Chair of the American Heart Association's scientific statement on multidimensional sleep health. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Sleep Research Society and is a Past President of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine and the Pennsylvania Sleep Society.
His research has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, American Heart Association, and other federal, nonprofit, and private organizations. He has also contributed to national and international initiatives involving sleep, mental health, and performance, including work with the NCAA and International Olympic Committee. He regularly advises health care organizations, technology companies, athletic organizations, and other groups on sleep and circadian health. He has participated in congressional briefings on sleep and health, served as an expert witness in civil and criminal proceedings, and delivered hundreds of invited lectures and presentations to scientific, clinical, professional, and public audiences.
Dr. Grandner received his bachelor's degree from the University of Rochester, his master's degree in Clinical Psychology from San Diego State University, and his PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Joint Doctoral Program at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego. He completed an APA-accredited clinical internship at the San Diego VA and UC San Diego, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania and affiliated institutions. He also earned a Master of Translational Research degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served on the faculty before joining the University of Arizona in 2015.
In addition to his clinical and scientific work, Dr. Grandner is an active public educator and science communicator. His research and expertise have been featured extensively in television, radio, print, and digital media around the world, including CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, and numerous other national and international outlets. Through his research, clinical practice, professional leadership, and public engagement, he works to make sleep health a more central part of health care, public health, and everyday life.