The Department of Psychology and The University of Tulsa Institute of Trauma, Adversity, and Injustice recently invited alumna Kristi Pruiksma, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, to present on a range of sleep-related public health issues and potential solutions.
The talk, “Sleep Matters: Health Challenges Across the Lifespan,” addressed topics like melatonin use in children, school start times, and daylight savings transitions. “I’m excited to present about sleep matters because we know sleep is so important in all areas of life. I like to do what I can to help raise awareness and point people to resources,” she said.
Pruiksma’s research focuses primarily on evidence-based treatment for sleep disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder with a focus on active-duty military personnel. “Dr. Pruiksma has taken the sleep world by storm with her scholarship in the area of sleep interventions,” said Professor of Clinical Psychology Joanne Davis. “She is on the front line of efforts exploring innovative treatments for sleep disturbances in military personnel and the broader community.”
“It was truly an honor to be back on campus. It was surreal and humbling,” she reflected. “It was exciting to hear about the great work that has continued to happen in the Psychology Department at TU – and really fun to see the food delivery robots!” Since graduating, Pruiksma (MA ’08, PhD ’11) has given back to TU through her work with current faculty and students, including a recent publication with Mollie Rischard (MA ’19, PhD ’23) and faculty member Lisa Cromer on efforts to develop an assessment tool for evaluating sleep disorders in children.
“We are very proud of everything that Dr. Pruiksma has accomplished thus far and look forward to many years of continued collaboration,” Davis said.