American Academy of Sleep Medicine selects 2018 award recipients

Several leaders in the field of sleep medicine and a best-selling author were selected as recipients of the 2018 American Academy of Sleep Medicine awards, which will be presented Monday, June 4, during the plenary session of SLEEP 2018, the 32nd annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC (APSS) in Baltimore.

"I want to congratulate our 2018 award recipients for their commitment to strengthening the field of sleep medicine through academic research, public policy and education," said AASM President Dr. Ilene Rosen. "The contributions they have made to the sleep field help support the mission of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine to improve sleep health and promote high quality, patient-centered care."

The 2018 AASM award recipients, who were selected by the AASM board of directors, are:

Jack D. Edinger, PhD

Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award for dedication to the sleep field and significant contributions in the areas of administration, public relations and government affairs

Dr. Edinger is an insomnia specialist at National Jewish Health. Dr. Edinger holds an adjunct professor status at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. He has more than 36 years of clinical and research experience with insomnia and other sleep-disordered patients. Dr. Edinger is a prolific clinical researcher who currently has more 300 publications in the form of journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters.

Naresh M. Punjabi, MD, PhD

William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award for exceptional initiative and progress in the areas of sleep education and academic research

Dr. Punjabi is a professor of medicine and epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University. Supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, his research focuses on the epidemiology of sleep apnea with an emphasis on defining the etiological links to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease.

Arianna Huffington

Mark O. Hatfield Public Policy or Advocacy Award for developing public policy that positively affects the healthy sleep of all Americans

Arianna Huffington is the founder of The Huffington Post, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, and the author of 15 books, including, most recently, Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In August 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a corporate and consumer well-being and productivity platform with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success.

Kingman P. Strohl, MD

Excellence in Education Award for outstanding contributions in the teaching of sleep medicine

Dr. Strohl is a professor of medicine, director of the Center for Sleep Disorders Research, and director of the sleep fellowship program at Case Western Reserve University. He is affiliated with the Sleep Centers at the Louis Stokes Cleveland DVA Medical Center and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. Dr. Strohl has served the AASM as committee chair in education, clinical testing, and clinical research.