Sleep: A Health Imperative. Congressional Briefing on the 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan

On May 31, 2012, a Congressional Briefing of the 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan will take place at 2 p.m. in the U.S. Capitol Building. The Sleep Research Society in conjunction with Congressman Michael Honda organized this event. The Congressional Briefing is open to the public. Patients and interested parties are encouraged to attend. Details below.

The 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan identifies research opportunities for the next three to five years to spur new approaches to the prevention and treatment of sleep disorders. Recommended research initiatives include looking at the connection between sleep and circadian systems (the body’s natural 24-hour cycle), studying the influence of genetic and environmental factors that could influence a person’s sleep health, and conducting more comparative effectiveness trials to improve treatments for sleep and circadian disorders.

The plan was developed through an open process with staff from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and public representatives on the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board.  The public, patients, health care professionals, and researchers also provided input.

Over the past two years, I’ve attended the public meetings of the Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board at NIH. I’ve provided input and testimony when appropriate.  Truly, it was a remarkable undertaking – with various parties together to create a guide for the future of sleep disorders research. 

The upcoming Congressional Briefing of the 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan is an exciting step towards recognizing sleep as a health imperative. Thank you, Sleep Research Society and Congressman Honda!

DETAILS:

Event: Sleep: A Health Imperative. A Congressional Briefing on the 2011 NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan
Date and time: May 31, 2012. 2 to 3 PM EDT
Location: Room S115, located on the Senate side of the Capitol Building
Organized by: Sleep Research Society in conjunction with Congressman Michael Honda

Expected Speakers: Congressman Michael Honda
Susan Shurin, MD, Acting Director, NHLBI
Phyllis Zee, MD, Ph.D., President, Sleep Research Society
David Dinges, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania

The Congressional Briefing is open to the public.
Patients and interested parties are encouraged to attend.
Please arrive early to allow time to get through security.

4 Comments

  1. unell hobbs on May 21, 2012 at 2:32 am

    Can anybody go to this? Unell

  2. julie on May 21, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Great question – Unell! Yes, I believe it is open to the public. I’d suggest getting there very early to get through security. Congressman Michael Honda’s office may have more details. Thank you, Julie (aka the REM Runner)

  3. […] 31st at 2pm. It was a packed house with standing room only for the Congressional Briefing on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan. Congressional staffers, patient advocates and sleep researchers were all in […]

  4. […] 31st at 2pm. It was a packed house with standing room only for the Congressional Briefing on the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Plan. Congressional staffers, patient advocates and sleep researchers were all in […]

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