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Stephanie Crowley, PhD

Stephanie Crowley, PhD
Associate Professor
Division of Behavioral Sciences, Rush Medical College
Director of Pediatric Chronobiology and Sleep Research Program
Education

BA, Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA, 2000
MS, Experimental Psychology, Brown University, Providence RI, 2005
PhD, Experimental Psychology, Brown University, Providence RI, 2009

Research Areas

Broad research interest is the circadian timing system and testing methods to correct misalignment between sleep and circadian timing. Research focuses on understanding and manipulating the circadian timing system during adolescence, a time when circadian misalignment is at its peak.        

Contact Info:

1645 W. Jackson Blvd. Suite 425
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (312) 563-4783
Fax: (312) 563-4900
Email: stephanie_j_crowley@rush.edu
Links:
Biography

Stephanie Crowley, PhD studies sleep and circadian timing in humans. Her research program focuses on understanding basic circadian physiology and sleep behavior across adolescence, as well as developing and testing strategies to correct circadian misalignment (the mismatch between sleep and the circadian system) that is often experienced by teens in middle and high school. 

A hallmark of adolescence is a significant change in sleep behavior, particularly the timing of sleep and wake. Sleep regulatory systems (homeostatic and circadian systems) change with pubertal maturation, and these changes appear to be permissive of late bedtimes and favor evening alertness as adolescents age. School start times and thus school wake times for adolescents, however, become earlier with age. Late bedtimes and early school wake times restrict sleep during the school week to less than recommended, and sleep of many adolescents is mistimed on school nights (i.e., they are waking too early according to their 24-h circadian clock). Crowley’s previous and ongoing NIH-funded studies aim to fill a gap in our understanding of the basic mechanisms driving the adolescent sleep/wake behavior change and test methods to reduce the mismatch between internal circadian rhythms and external social rhythms in these youngsters.      

Honors and Activities

Editorial activities

Professional societies

Grant reviews

  • Ad hoc reviewer, National Science Foundation, “Developmental and Learning Sciences” panel
  • Ad hoc reviewer, ZRG1 BBBP-L (51) R RFA-HD-12-204: Sleep and Social Environment: Basic Biopsychosocial Processes (R21) NIH Study Section
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Emotion, Stress, and Health (MESH) NIH Study Section
  • Ad hoc reviewer, ZRG1 BBBP-J 60 C, Collaborative Applications: Sleep and Mood Disorders NIH Study Section
  • Ad-hoc reviewer, NASA Human Exploration Research Opportunities (HERO)
  • Ad hoc reviewer, NICHD CHHD-M Study Section, Health, Behavior and Context Subcommittee
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Thrasher Research Fund
  • Standing member, Neural Basis of Psychopathology, Addictions and Sleep Disorders (NPAS) Study Section

Awards

  • Nathaniel Kleitman Fellow, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (1999)
  • William C. Dement Sleep and Chronobiology Summer Behavioral Sciences
  • Research Apprentice, E.P. Bradley Sleep and Chronobiology Research Laboratory, Brown University, Providence, RI (2003)
  • Sleep Research Society Research Excellence Award (2002 & 2004)
  • Sleep Research Society Research Honorable Mention Award (2005)
  • Research Excellence Trainee Travel Award from the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (2006)
  • Trainee Travel Award from the World Federation Sleep Congress of the World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies (WFSRSMS) (2007)
  • Sleep Research Society Foundation J. Christian Gillin, M.D. Research Award (2010)
Publications

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/stephanie%20crowley.mcwilliam.1/bibliography/41739484/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending

Grants

2006–2009
National Institute of Mental Health F31 (MH078662)
Title:  “Teen Weekend Sleep:  Circadian Timing, Performance, Mood”
Principal Investigator:  Crowley, Stephanie J.
Principal Mentor:  Carskadon, Mary A.

2009–2011
National Institute of Nursing Research R01 (NR007677)
Title: “Blue Light and Melatonin for Treatment of Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Jet Lag”  
Principal Investigator: Eastman, Charmane I.
Co-Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2009–2011                
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL086934)    
Title: “Phase Response Curves for Home Remedies to Treat Circadian Misalignment”
Principal Investigator: Eastman, Charmane I.
Co-Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2009–2013                
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL083971)                      
Title: “Sleep Length and Circadian Regulation in Humans”
Principal Investigator: Burgess, Helen J.
Co-Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2010–2011                
Rush University Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences Incubator Grant
Title: “Phase response curves to light to treat delayed and restricted sleep of adolescents”
Principal Investigator:  Crowley, Stephanie J.

2010–2011    
Sleep Research Society Foundation 2010 J. Christian Gillin, M.D. Research Award
Title: “A Light Phase Response Curve to Treat Delayed Sleep in Adolescents”
Principal Investigator:  Crowley, Stephanie J.

2012–2017                
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL105395)
Title: “Adolescent Sleep Delay: Circadian Regulation and Phase Shifting with Light”
Principal Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2012–2017                
National Institute of Nursing Research R01 (NR007677)
Title: “Racial Differences in Human Circadian Rhythms”
Principal Investigator: Eastman, Charmane I.
Co-Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2013–2014
Rush University Medical Center, Department of Behavioral Sciences Fogarty Medical Sleep Research Grant
Title: Impact of a sleep and eating behavior intervention on glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes: A feasibility study
Principal Investigators: Crowley, Stephanie J. & Hood, Megan M.

2014–2019                
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL112756)
Title: “Teen School-Night Sleep Extension: An Intervention Targeting the Circadian System”
Principal Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2018 – 2021
American Academy of Sleep Medicine Foundation   
Strategic Research Award – Category 1 Award # 184-SR-17
Title: “Amber Glasses for Pediatric/Adolescent Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder: A Placebo-Controlled Study”
Principal Investigator: R. Robert Auger, MD
Co-Investigator/Site Principal Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2019 – 2023
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL148271)
Title: “METS-Sleep: Sleep timing, gut microbiota and cardiometabolic health across the Epidemiologic Transition”
Principal Investigator: Dugas, Lara.
Co-Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.

2020 – 2025
National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL146772)
Title: “Adolescent Circadian Misalignment: Mechanistic Studies of Sleep and Light”
Principal Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.
Co-Investigator: Eastman, Charmane I.

2020 – 2025
National Institute of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute R01 (HL151512)
Title: “Adolescent Circadian Phase Shifts: Novel Time-of-Day Targets for Bright Light”
Principal Investigator: Crowley, Stephanie J.
Co-Investigator: Eastman, Charmane I.

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