Melissa P Knauert MD, PhD

Dr. Knauert received her MD and PhD degrees from the Yale School of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and pulmonary, critical care and sleep fellowships at Yale University School of Medicine. She joined the PCCSM faculty in 2013. She has been a Pepper and YCCI Scholar. She is currently supported by a NHLBI K23 Award and an AASM Strategic Research Award. She attends in the medical ICU and is the Associate Director of the Sleep Fellowship Program.

Dr. Knauert’s research investigates sleep deprivation and circadian disruption in critically ill patients. Sleep deprivation and circadian disruption are likely key factors in the development of ICU delirium. Furthermore, sleep and circadian abnormalities are implicated in broader perturbations of normal physiology including abnormalities of cardiovascular, immune, endocrine and metabolic systems. Over the long-term, this patient-oriented research will improve outcomes in the ICU by investigating questions and developing interventions at the intersection of sleep, circadian biology, and critical illness.