FEATURED TRAINEE - Shantha Gowda

Shantha Gowda is completing her cognitive behavioral sleep medicine fellowship at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center.

The combination of two things draws me to BSM: how fascinating and essential sleep is and how each of us can materially improve our sleep. In a world where we are focused on individuallyimproving our fitness and health, I am excited to see sleep become an increasing part of that conversation.

THE MENTORS THAT HAVE HELPED ME GET HERE

Dr. Ana Fins, Dr. William Wohglemuth, and Dr. Fiona Barwick have each influenced unique aspects of my love for sleep. Ana’s dedication to sleep and to individually fostering the growth of each of her students ignited my passion for the field. Dr. Wohglemuth’s focus on patient specific interventions taught me to put that passioninto practice. Fiona’s openness to out of the box approaches has inspired me to apply my knowledge of BSM in innovative ways. I could not have asked for a better set of mentors who continue to guide and influence me to this day.

WHERE I'D LIKE TO SEE THE FIELD GROW

As I think of my career and the future of BSM, I hope to further deepen our understanding of circadian biology. With continual advancements in identifying circadian rhythms, I hope to contribute to a field that is ready to apply that knowledge with nuanced, individualized interventions.

WHEN I'M NOT SLEEPING

When I’m not sleeping or thinking about sleep, I enjoyhiking and relaxing outdoors with my dog, Theo. As a Southern girl, it doesn’t take more than sunshine and a good barbecue to keep a smile on my face.