Mary Carskadon
Professor Mary Carskadon is an authority on adolescent sleep. Her research raised public awareness about the consequences of insufficient sleep in adolescents and influenced education policy, prompting school districts to delay school start times for teens. Carskadon’s past research examined sleep and circadian rhythm processes in adolescents and the influence of parental alcohol use history on sleep and circadian rhythms of youth. Her current research assesses depressed mood and serotonin genes in college students, effects of circadian timing on smell, taste, and food choices in overweight and normal weight teens, and smart lighting strategies for schools. Carskadon is a distinguished alumna of Gettysburg College with a doctorate in neuro- and bio-behavioral sciences from Stanford University. She has received awards from national organizations recognizing her scientific, educational, and public policy contributions. She is an elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.