Royette Tavernier, Ph.D.

I am a developmental psychologist, whose program of research examines associations between sleep and various aspects of psychosocial functioning, particularly among adolescents and emerging adults. My interest in sleep stems from the critical role that this important human behavior plays for a wide range of health and well-being outcomes. Although sleep plays a key role for well-being across the lifespan, adolescence and emerging adulthood are particularly sensitive age periods to study sleep because of the unique biological and environmental changes that interact to influence sleep-wake patterns during this period of development. Furthermore, because psychosocial functioning is multidimensional, my interest in sleep is in relation to a diverse set of factors, including academic performance, quality of interpersonal relationships, emotional adjustment, technology use and alcohol use, and physical health. My published work can be found here.

My interdisciplinary background is central to my research program. Consequently, I take a biopsychosocial approach to the study of sleep and psychosocial functioning. My profound interest in understanding the mechanistic pathways linking sleep and psychosocial functioning is driven by my desire to increase our knowledge and understanding of the various ways in which we can improve the lives of diverse groups of youth.

October 2016