Thomas A. Mellman M.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Program. The programmatic focus of Dr. Mellman's research is the psychobiology of sleep disturbances in posttraumatic stress disorder. This interest evolved from work beginning during the candidate's training on phenomenological issues in PTSD and panic, and sleep in panic disorder. The focus of the work in sleep in PTSD has included laboratory evaluations documenting disturbed arousal regulation in combat veterans and Hurricane survivors, and has recently emphasized REM activity, dreaming, and implications for memory processing and treatment interventions. The focus of the candidate's active RO-1 funded study is PTSD and sleep acutely in subjects with recent severe traumatic injuries. During the candidate's 10 years as faculty in Miami he has mentored a number of trainees' projects that have been presented and published and for some, influenced the pursuit of academic careers. The proposed award would provide critical support toward the optimal development of the research program and maximize opportunities for mentoring trainees and early career investigators.
