FEATURED TRAINEE - ALICIA ROTH, PHD

HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN BSM?

Alicia RothAfter I finished my master’s degree at Wake Forest in Experimental Psychology, I was hired to be a clinical study coordinator for a study investigating the effects of trazodone on people with insomnia with Vaughn McCall. He was my introduction into the world of sleep. I went to  my first Sleep Conference in 2009 and saw Michael Perlis passionately speak about the need for an “army of sleep psychologists.” And I knew then, I wanted to be part of the BSM army!

WHO ARE YOUR BSM MENTORS?

Dr. McCall and Dr. Anthony Liguori were my original mentors as a research assistant at Wake Forest University. As a clinical psychology doctoral student at the University of Florida, my mentor was Dr. Christina McCrae, CBSM.

WHAT ARE YOUR CAREER GOALS? WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

I am very passionate about the dissemination of science as a whole – but particularly the way BSM research and best clinical practices are shared with clinicians and the public. I hope to be in a position one day to to be an ambassador for the BSM community and facilitate those conversations.  A dream job would entail working with professional athletes on their sleep habits to facilitate optimal performance in their sport.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE FIELD OF BSM IN 10 YEARS?

From a clinical perspective, I would hope that physicians and the public are better informed about the most effective treatments for sleep disorders; and that BSM providers can be front-line treatment rather than hard-to-find specialists.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AWAY FROM THE OFFICE?

I wanted to train for a triathlon when in graduate school, but never had the time or energy to do it; but I’m finally part of a triathlon training team and am swimming, biking, or running most days of the week. I also have a new best friend, my  maltipoo Banana, and we go on lots of adventures.

WHAT IS YOUR NEXT VACATION OR DREAM VACATION DESTINATION?

My best friend is getting married in Poland so I will be traveling to Warsaw & Kraków in August this year.

DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL HOBBIES OR TALENTS?

My physiological psychology professor in undergrad made us learn how to juggle as part of the final exam (he studied how juggling affects cognition). So I can still juggle! It’s my fall back career if BSM falls through.

WHAT EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED SHAPE YOUR TRAINING IN BSM?

Sitting in a small, cold basement lab with Dr. McCall while he taught me how to score PSGs, where we also had free-wheeling discussions about sleep really sparked my interest in BSM. But Dr. McCrae really gave me a complete, multifaceted BSM experience in doctoral training – she had me set up PSGs, interpret actigraphy data, write manuscripts, review for peer-reviewed journals, learn and implement CBTI, and provide peer supervision for other trainees in BSM.

WHAT RESOURCES HAVE HELPED TO ADVANCE YOUR TRAINING?

Attending the annual Sleep conference always broadens my perspective on areas of sleep research and practice that I don’t regularly engage in. It has also been a wonderful opportunity to network with fellow trainees through the Society of Sleep Research trainee meetings and BSM professionals at the SBSM receptions. I also attended the Penn Advanced CBTI training course with Drs. Michael Perlis, Donn Posner, and Jason Ellis, which was a wonderful way to delve into more advanced topics in CBTI delivery and meet fellow BSM providers.