Esra Tasali, MD, has been named Director of the University of Chicago Sleep Center, effective March 15, 2022. This newly structured Sleep Center is the result of joint, multi-disciplinary, and collaborative efforts across several departments in the Biological Sciences Division. The UChicago Sleep Center will have three missions in clinical care, education, and research and builds on a longstanding and rich tradition in sleep medicine.
In this new role, Tasali will oversee all aspects of the Center including clinical operations, research, and educational activities. She will work closely with Kenneth Lee, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, who will serve as the Medical Director, Alejandra Lastra, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, who will serve as the Director of the Sleep Fellowship Program and Associate Medical Director, and sleep experts from the departments of Pediatrics and Surgery. Tasali will also work in collaboration with all BSD department chairs, faculty and program leaders to ensure the growth and success of the Center.
Tasali, a foremost expert in the field of sleep medicine, currently serves as Associate Professor of Medicine in the Section of Pulmonary/Critical Care with a secondary appointment in the Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. She has led the Department’s sleep research program since 2016. Throughout her career, her work has focused on the impact of sleep and sleep disorders on metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes. She is currently serving as a member at the NIH Center for Scientific Review and serves as PI on two NIH R01 grants to study novel aspects related to sleep apnea, cardiometabolic disease. She is also a member of the NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board with a mission to support research, training, and to disseminate health information related to sleep research across the NIH and federal government.
As Director of UChicago Sleep Center, Tasali will act as the key representative and voice within the institution to enhance UChicago's reputation as a leader in sleep medicine.
