Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series—Dr. Ancoli-Israel's current interests include the longitudinal effect of sleep disorders on aging, the effect of circadian rhythms on sleep, therapeutic interventions for sleep problems in dementia, and fatigue, particularly the relationship between sleep, fatigue and circadian rhythms in cancer and other chronic illnesses. She is the Principal Investigator on two NIH funded projects. The first, funded by the National Institute on Aging, examines the effect of treating sleep apnea on non-motor symptoms (such as cognitive functioning, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life) in patients with Parkinson's disease. The second grant, funded by National Cancer Institute, examines whether chemobrain (cognitive decrements seen during chemotherapy) may be influenced by fatigue, poor sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms with in women with breast cancer.

This lecture is sponsored by the Center for Research on Families’ Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series. The Center for Research on Families (CRF) is an endowed interdisciplinary research center in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. The Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series brings internationally recognized speakers with expertise in family research to campus each year. The lecture series began in 1999 through an endowment established in memory of Tay Gavin Erickson.