WESTCHESTER, Ill.Vernon Pegram, PhD, was recently named the recipient of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s (AASM) Excellence in Education Award for 2007.


“Dr. Pegram’s contributions to the field of sleep medicine are vast. In addition to playing a pivotal role in the establishment and accreditation of sleep centers nationwide, Dr. Pegram has devoted his career to educating students and medical professionals alike about sleep disorders. He is well-respected by his colleagues, who often turn to him for advice on the most critical issues facing the field. I congratulate Dr. Pegram on a very distinguished career and for being selected as this year’s recipient of the Excellence in Education Award,” said Alejandro D. Chediak, MD, new AASM president.


Dr. Pegram will be presented with the award at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).


Vernon Pegram, PhD, is director of the Sleep Disorders Center of Alabama and a licensed psychologist. His interest lies in the area of sleep deprivation. He is a past member of the AASM accreditation and polysomnographic technologist issues committees.


Dr. Pegram was a 30-year educator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he introduced first-year medical students to sleep and sleep disorders, initiated the Sleep Medicine Review course for physicians in Birmingham, and developed and taught a course in sleep disorders for physicians and sleep technologists.


Dr. Pegram established the first AASM accredited sleep center in Alabama, one of the first accredited facilities in the United States.


Dr. Pegram served on active duty in the Air Force, after which he received a PhD in physiological psychology from the University of Mexico.


SLEEP 2007 is a four-day scientific meeting that will feature an international body of over 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine.


More than 1,000 research abstracts will be presented at SLEEP 2007, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. SLEEP 2007 will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.


AASM is a professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of sleep medicine and sleep-related research.


CONTACT:

Jim Arcuri

(708)492-0930, ext. 9317

jarcuri@aasm.org

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