David F. Dinges, professor of psychology in psychiatry, chief of the division of sleep and chronobiology and director of the unit for experimental psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine, has been selected for the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Sleep Research Society (SRS). This is the highest honor the SRS bestows and recognizes significant, original and sustained basic, translational, clinical or theoretical scientific contributions to sleep and circadian research. This award honors a single individual of prominence for contributions over an entire career.

Dr. Dinges, who is also vice chair for faculty affairs and professional development in psychiatry, was selected for his service teaching courses in sleep and chronobiology and conducting research for the past 25 years. His research through his sleep and chronobiology laboratory at HUP, as well as his extensive field studies, have considerably advanced the understanding of the acute, chronic and cumulative effects of sleep restriction and how sleep need and circadian biology interact to affect physiological and neurobehavioral functions in healthy adults. These studies on the effects of sleep deprivation on human cognitive, neurobehavioral and physiological functions, and on the consequences of sleep loss for health and safety—sponsored by NIH, NASA, DoD and DoT—have informed public policies to identify and prevent the effects of inadequate sleep. He has created and validated the psychomotor vigilance test, one of the most widely used assessments for behavioral alertness pertaining to sleep need and circadian timing.