Navigating the Neurophysiology of Sleep and Cataplexy: The Significance of Select Neurotransmitters

Dr. Thorpy is a Professor of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center in the Department of Neurology at Montefiore Medical Center, both in New York. In addition to treating patients with sleep disorders, he conducts research in narcolepsy, insomnia and sleep apnea. He is President of the New York State Society of Sleep Medicine, Past President of the Sleep Section of the Academy of Neurology, and Past Secretary of the National Sleep Foundation. In 1993 Dr. Thorpy received the Nathaniel Kleitman Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, one of the field’s highest honors, and in 2012 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Sleep Foundation.

Born in New Zealand, Dr. Thorpy earned his medical degree from the University of Otago Medical School. After receiving postgraduate training in Dunedin, New Zealand; Bombay, India; and London, England, he completed his residency in neurology at the State University of New York in Syracuse and a neuroendocrinology fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center. Dr. Thorpy is board certified in sleep medicine.

He has published extensively on narcolepsy, insomnia, and sleep disorders. He chaired the first International Classification of Sleep Disorders and has published more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and chapters, including publications in journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine. His numerous books include “The Encyclopedia of Sleep and Sleep Disorders“, ‘ ‘Parasomnias’ (2010), ‘Sleepiness” (2011), ‘Neuroimaging of Sleep and Sleep Disorders’ (2012), ‘Genetics of Sleep and Sleep Disorders’ (2013), ‘Narcolepsy: a clinical guide’ (2016),  and ‘SleepMultiMedia, a computerized textbook of sleep medicine’ (v12).0 (2023)

Dr. Thorpy has given more than 100 television, radio, and print interviews on sleep disorders.

Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD is the Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor in Neurology and Professor of Neurobiology at Northwestern University. She is also the Director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine (CCSM) and Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. As Director of CCSM, Dr. Zee oversees an interdisciplinary program in basic and translational sleep and circadian rhythm research, and findings from her team have paved the way for innovative approaches to improve sleep and circadian health.

A central theme of Dr. Zee’s research program is understanding the role of circadian-sleep interactions on the expression and development of cardiometabolic and neurologic disorders. Her research has focused on the effects of age and neurodegeneration on sleep and circadian rhythms and pathophysiology of sleep-wake disorders. In addition, her laboratory is studying the effects of circadian-sleep based interventions, such as exercise, bright light and feed-fast schedules on cognitive, cardiovascular and metabolic functions and their potential to delay cardiometabolic aging and neurodegeneration.

Dr. Zee also has authored more than 300 peer reviewed original articles, reviews, and chapters on the topics of sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep/wake disorders. She has also trained over 50 pre-doctoral and post-doctoral students and has mentored numerous faculty members.

Dr. Zee is a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and member of the American Neurological Association. She has served on numerous national and international committees, NIH scientific review panels, and international advisory boards. She is past President of the Sleep Research Society, past President of the Sleep Research Foundation, past Chair of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board, a past member of the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Disorders Advisory Council and is the current President-Elect of the World Sleep Society.

Dr. Zee is the recipient of the 2011 American Academy of Neurology Sleep Science Award, the 2014 American Academy of Sleep Medicine academic honor, the William C. Dement Academic Achievement Award, and the 2020 Sleep Research Society Distinguished Scientist Award and the 2021 NSF Lifetime Achievement Award.