Sleep societies announce inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award recipient

Sleep medicine physician and sleep researcher Dr. Charlene Gamaldo of Johns Hopkins Medicine is the recipient of the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award from the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC, a joint initiative of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the field of sleep medicine or sleep and circadian science through their work to increase the diversity, equity and inclusion of sleep medicine providers, or the development of educational programs, research, or clinical work aimed at reducing disparities. The award presentation occured Thursday, June 10, during the plenary session of Virtual SLEEP 2021, the 35^th annual meeting of the APSS.

“The APSS is committed to fostering a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sleep field, and we are grateful for the leadership of Dr. Gamaldo to support these efforts at Johns Hopkins and in her professional networks,” said APSS President Dr. Andrew Krystal. “Her efforts to diversify the sleep field and close the gap of health disparities will have a lasting and positive impact.”

Gamaldo is the medical director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep and Wellness in Baltimore, Maryland, and a professor of neurology for Johns Hopkins Medicine with joint appointments in psychiatry, nursing, anesthesiology, and public health. She has led collaborative research efforts and contributed to scholarly publications to close the gap in health equities in sleep, advance our understanding of the relationship of social determinants of health and medical outcomes, and foster a more inclusive health care team at all levels. Gamaldo’s investigations aim to further understand the inter-relationship of sleep with medical conditions such as sickle cell disease and HIV in predominantly Black cohorts.

Gamaldo serves in DEI leadership roles for Johns Hopkins and the American Academy of Neurology, and she is vice-chair of the AAN Anti-Racism and Social Justice Task Force.