Neuroscience for Sleep Medicine Part A

Mohammad Nami MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Clinical Neuropsychology at Canadian University Dubai and Director of the Brain, Cognition, and Behavior Unit at BrainHub UAE. With prior neuroscience leadership roles at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and affiliations with Harvard alumni networks, his work focuses on sleep neuroscience, cognitive health, and neuropsychology, emphasizing the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. His research integrates cognitive evaluations, neuroimaging, neurophysiology, and precision neuromodulation approaches to advance diagnostics and interventions for sleep and neurocognitive disorders, while promoting public awareness of brain and sleep health internationally.

Amir Sharafkhaneh, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and Staff Physician at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. An internationally recognized clinician-scientist, he has advanced pulmonary and sleep medicine through research in chronic respiratory disease, sleep disorders, telemedicine, digital biomarkers, and remote monitoring. He has contributed to major studies including COPDGene, ECLIPSE, and UPLIFT, and leads innovative rehabilitation programs for underserved populations. Dr. Sharafkhaneh chairs the World Sleep Society AI Interest Group and is widely published on AI-enabled, patient-centered approaches to sleep, cognition, frailty, and the neuroscience of sleep-related care delivery models.

K.S. Jagannatha Rao, PhD, is a distinguished neuroscientist, Professor, and Pro-Chancellor of KLEF Deemed University, India, and former President of the Neuroscience Center at INDICASAT, Panama City, Panama. His research integrates neurobiology and sleep neuroscience, with a focus on novel metabolic pathways in cognitive and neurological conditions. With over 200 publications, including in PNAS, and mentorship of numerous PhD scholars, he has significantly advanced the field. A TWAS Fellow, Senior Editor of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, and Harvard-trained Global Clinical Scholar, he promotes translational research, and brain health awareness internationally.