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Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Email: germaina@upmc.edu
Phone: 412-246-6436
Fax: 412-246-5300
 

Research Program
Dr. Germain's research interests focus on the pathophysiology and neurobiology of sleep
disturbance in posttraumatic stress disorder and other stress-related mental health disorders,
such as complicated grief and depression. She is currently conducting a study on the efficacy
of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological treatments of sleep disturbances comorbid with
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Her research interests also include the study of the
psychophysiological and neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sleep treatment response.
.
Leadership Positions and Honors
Postdoctoral Award, Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec (FRSQ), 2001-2002
Postdoctoral Award, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR; formerly MRC), 2002-2005
Trainee Member-at-Large, Board of Directors, Sleep Research Society, 2004-2005
Distinguished Service Award, Sleep Research Society, 2005
WPIC Junior Faculty Scholars Program, Training Future Generations of Mental Health
Researchers (MH60473), 2006-2008

Representative Publications 
Germain A, Buysse DJ, Ombao H, Kupfer DJ, Hall M:  Psychophysiological reactivity and
coping styles influence the effects of acute stress exposure on REM sleep. Psychosom Med
65:857-864, 2003.View Adobe .pdf File . . .
Germain A, Nielsen T:  Sleep pathophysiology in PTSD and idiopathic nightmare sufferers.
Biol Psychiatr 54:1092-1098, 2003.View Adobe .pdf File . . .
Germain A, Buysse DJ, Shear MK, Fayyad R, Austin C: Clinical correlates of sleep disturbance
severity in posttraumatic stress disorder.  J Traumatic Stress 17:477-484, 2004.View Adobe .pdf File . . .
Germain A, Nofzinger EA, Kupfer DJ, Buysse DJ:  Neurobiology of NREM sleep in depression:
Further evidence for hypofrontality and thalamic dysregulation.  Am J Psychiatry
161:1856-1863, 2004.View Adobe .pdf File . . .
Germain A, Shear MK, Hall M, Buysse DJ:  Effects of a brief behavioral treatment for
PTSD-related sleep disturbances: A pilot study. Behav Res Ther, in press.
  Revised 7/24/2006  la/tc

 

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