Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award for novel and seminal discoveries of a basic, clinical or theoretical nature that have made a significant impact on the sleep field

adapted from the Sleep Research Society press release

In 2009, Drs. Frank A.J.L. Scheer and Steven A. Shea, together with their colleagues, published a landmark paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, “Adverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of circadian misalignment.” Their work demonstrated that disruption of the alignment between the internal circadian system and the sleep/meal cycle leads to adverse cardiometabolic consequences in humans. This work also sparked many follow-up studies across the world. Their study showed that the mistiming of behaviors has strong and negative effects on cardiometabolic control, raising scientific and clinical interest into circadian misalignment and timing of behavior across the world.

In addition to the value of the publication, Drs. Scheer and Shea are scientists at the forefront of clinically relevant human circadian research, using sophisticated laboratory protocols. Dr. Scheer is director of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and Dr. Shea is director and professor at Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at Oregon Health & Science University, each leading their independent laboratories expanding their work on circadian misalignment and leading the way in studying mechanisms, translation, and therapeutic interventions.