2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026)

Name: 2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026)
Location: National Institutes of Health

Event Details

October 14, 2026

October 16, 2026

National Institutes of Health
Natcher Conference Center, Ruth L. Kirschstein Auditorium
45 Center Dr.
Bethesda, MD 20894
United States

2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026)

Description

The National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) and partners across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will convene the 2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026) October 14th-16th, 2026 on the NIH campus.

Sleep is a biological necessity and for women, sleep needs and patterns are shaped by hormonal changes, life stages, and social pressures in ways that science is only beginning to fully understand. Poor sleep is a direct risk for serious health conditions that disproportionately affect women, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. Sleep challenges are also particularly common during adolescence, pregnancy, and menopause, and new research suggests that sleep problems during pregnancy may have lasting effects on both mothers and their children.

The first SHOW conference, held in 2018, brought together researchers, clinicians, and public health experts to discuss the state of the science and opportunities to expand sleep and circadian research and the health of women. The 2026 conference builds on that work, reflecting nearly a decade of new discoveries and an urgent need to close remaining gaps in research and care.

This free, public event will feature expert presentations, panel discussions, and poster sessions covering the latest science on sleep and women's health. Whether you are a researcher, a healthcare provider, or simply someone who wants to learn more, SHOW 2026 is an opportunity to be part of an important national conversation.

Objectives:

Showcase NIH-supported sleep and circadian research advances
Increase awareness of sleep-related health risks and available interventions
Identify critical knowledge gaps and opportunities to implementing sleep- and circadian-based solutions to optimize the health of women and girls

Location:

Natcher Conference Center, Ruth L. Kirschstein Auditorium
45 Center Dr.
National Institute of Health
Bethesda, MD 20894
CAMPUS MAP

The conference will be livestreamed for the virtual audience.

Date:

October 14 5-7pm ET
October 15-16 8:30am-5:30pm ET

Registration:

Registration is required for both virtual and in-person attendance. Registration is available through October 2, 2026 here: Register Now

Due to security requirements at NIH facilities, non-US citizens wishing to attend in person must register by September 4, 2026. More information on NIH security policies is available here: https://security.nih.gov/visitors/Pages/default.aspx

Abstract Submission for Poster Session:

The conference planning committee invites abstract submissions for poster presentations to highlight emerging research topics focused on sleep and the health of women across the lifespan. Abstracts should clearly outline a compelling research question, your specific methodology and results, and broader implications of your work. Abstracts will also be considered for relevance to women’s health and alignment with conference themes.

Submit an abstract for a poster presentation here: Abstract Submission Form

Abstract Submission closes August 20, 2026

AGENDA

(All Times are Eastern Daylight Time)

Day 1 - October 14, 2026

Time	Session	Speaker(s)
4:00 PM	Registration/Security
5:00 PM	Opening Remarks and Welcome	Marishka K. Brown, PhD Acting Director, Division of Lung Diseases (DLD), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Director, National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR)
5:10 PM	Plenary	Suzanne M. Bertisch, MD, MPH Director, Women’s Health Sleep Medicine Program Director, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program Senior Associate Consultant Mayo Clinic in Florida
5:35 PM	Patient Voices Panel	Amy Clifton, RN Rising Voices Speaker Project Sleep Amanda Hunt, PhD Former President Down Syndrome Association of Northern Virginia Monica Prasad Mallampalli, PhD, MSc CEO, Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners Rebecca Robbins, PhD, MS Associate Scientist, Division of Sleep and Circadian Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital Assistant Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School Alexandra Wharton Executive Vice President Circadian Sleep Disorders Network
6:20 PM	Reception

Day 2 - October 15, 2026

Time	Session	Speaker(s)
8:00 AM	Registration/Security
8:45 AM	Welcoming Remarks	Marishka Brown, PhD Acting Director, DLD, NHLBI Director, NCSDR Richard Hodes, MD Director, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
9:00 AM	Keynote/Plenary The Hidden Cost: Sleep Disorders in Women, Improving Diagnosis and Management	Jennifer Martin, PhD Leon Medical Centers Professor in Geriatrics Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Florida International University Director, Benjamin Leon Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education Director, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center Miami VA
9:25 AM	Session 1a Early Wake-Up Calls: Sleep Health from Childhood Through the Teen Years	Rebecca Spencer, PhD Director, SomneuroLab Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences University of Massachusetts Amherst Jessica C. Levenson, PhD, DBSM Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Clinical & Translational Science University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Andrea Kelly, MD, MSCE Attending Physician, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Professor of Pediatrics University of Pennsylvania
10:35 AM	Session 1b Sleeping for Two: Maternal and Fetal Health	Ghada Bourjeily, MD Professor of Medicine Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice Brown University Director of Women's Research Brown University Health Claudia Lugo-Candelas, PhD, MS Florence Irving Associate Professor of Medical Psychology Columbia University Irving Medical Center
11:20 AM	Session 1c Shifting Sands: Sleep Through Midlife and Hormonal Change	Shadab Rahman, PhD, MPH Director of Sleep, Circadian and Behavioral Health Research Department of Psychiatry Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Hadine Joffe, MD, MSc Chair, Department of Psychiatry Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
12:00 PM	Lunch & Learn /Posters
1:30 PM	Session 2 The Later Years: Sleep's Role in Healthy Aging for Women	Fiona Baker, PhD Director, Center for Health Sciences, Human Sleep Research Program, SRI International Jody Greaney, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Health Behavior & Nutrition Sciences University of Delaware Courtney Polenick, PhD, MS Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry University of Michigan
2:30 PM	National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH) Intro	Susan Koester, PhD Acting Deputy Director, NIMH
2:40 PM	Session 3 Recharge: Sleep as a Modifiable Target to Protect Women's Mental Health Across the Adult Lifespan	Candice Alfano, PhD, DBSM Professor in Psychology, SUNY Empire Innovation Director, Sleep and Emotion Research in Children (SEaRCH) Lab Stony Brook University Suzanne Pineles, PhD Clinical Research Psychologist, Women's Health Sciences Division National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System Assistant Professor Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Jennifer N. Felder, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Core Research Faculty, Osher Center for Integrative Health, UCSF Barbara L. Parry, MD Professor of Psychiatry Director of Research, Women's Mood Clinic University of California, San Diego
4:00 PM	Break
4:20 PM	Session 4 Sleep Health among Women from a Whole Person Health Perspective	Chandra L. Jackson, PhD, MS Earl Stadtman Investigator, Epidemiology Branch National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Wayne Jonas, MD President and Founder Healing Works Foundation
5:20 PM	Closing Remarks	Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, DDS, PhD Deputy Director National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Day 3 - October 16, 2026

Time	Session	Speaker(s)
8:00 AM	Registration/Security
9:00 AM	NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) Remarks	Janine Clayton, MD Director, ORWH
9:10 AM	Day 2 Keynote Wired Differently: Sex Differences in Sleep Regulation	Ketema Paul, PhD Professor, Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Director, UCLA Integrative Center for Sleep and Performance
9:35 AM	Session 5 Misaligned: Circadian Disruption and Women's Cardiovascular Health	Dayna A. Johnson, PhD, MPH, MSW, MS, FAHA Rollins Distinguished Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health Brooke Aggarwal, EdD, MS, FAHA Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, Division of Cardiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
10:35 AM	Session 6 The Double Burden: Sleep Challenges in Chronic Illness	Tiffany Braley, MD, MS Associate Professor of Neurology Director, Multiple Sclerosis & Clinical Neuroimmunology Division MS Fatigue and Sleep Clinic Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan Alexandria Muench, PsyD Clinical Health Psychologist and Founder, Penn Sleep and Cancer Clinic; Postdoctoral Fellow, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program Chronobiology and Sleep Institute, University of Pennsylvania
11:35 AM	Lunch & Learn /Posters
1:00 PM	Session 7 Roundtable Tracking Sleep: Considerations for Wearable Data	Shilpy Dixit, PhD (moderator) Program Director Prevention and Sleep Health NCSDR, NHLBI R. Nisha Aurora, MD, MHS Professor of Medicine Director of Women's Sleep Medicine Initiatives, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine New York University (NYU) Grossman School of Medicine Bridgette McCullough, PhD, MSL Founder and CEO ACIRAH Health, PBC Vice-Chair, Board of Directors Alliance of Sleep Apnea Partners Olivia Walch, PhD CEO, Arcascope Adjunct Investigator, University of Michigan
2:00 PM	Session 8 Out of Sync: Sleep & Circadian Disruption, and Substance Use Disorders in Women	Colleen A. McClung, PhD Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical and Translational Science University of Pittsburgh Director, Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms and Sleep Lais F. Berro, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior University of Mississippi Medical Center
2:45 PM	Session 9 Sleep as the Target: Reducing Alcohol and Cannabis-Related Risk in Women	Katherine A. Maki, PhD, APRN, NP-BC (moderator) Assistant Clinical Investigator Translational Biobehavioral and Health Promotions Branch NIH Clinical Center Jessica Weafer, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health The Ohio State University Andrea Spaeth, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health Rutgers University Melynda Casement, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology Director, Oregon Sleep Lab University of Oregon
4:00 PM	Session 10 Bringing it Together to Move it Forward	John Lopos CEO, National Sleep Foundation Joseph M. Dzierzewski, PhD Senior Vice President, Research and Scientific Affairs National Sleep Foundation R. Nisha Aurora, MD, MHS Professor of Medicine Director of Women's Sleep Medicine Initiatives, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine NYU Grossman School of Medicine Jennifer Martin, PhD Leon Medical Centers Professor in Geriatrics, Departments of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Florida International University Director, Benjamin Leon Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education Director, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Miami VA
5:00 PM	Closing Remarks	Marishka K. Brown, PhD Acting Director, DLD, NHLBI Director, NCSDR

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2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026)

Event Details

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2026 NIH Research Conference on Sleep and the Health of Women (SHOW 2026)

Description

Objectives:

Location:

Date:

Registration:

Abstract Submission for Poster Session:

AGENDA