DARIEN, IL –The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is pleased to announce the election of President-elect Dr. Douglas B. Kirsch and two new directors-at-large who will serve on the board of directors: Dr. R. Nisha Aurora and Dr. Carol L. Rosen. Three current directors-at-large also have been reelected for another term: Dr. David A. Kristo, Dr. Kannan Ramar, and Dr. James A. Rowley. Their terms will begin June 5, 2017.

“I congratulate Dr. Kirsch, who is widely respected as a sleep physician and is well-prepared to serve our members as president-elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine,” said AASM President Dr. Ronald D. Chervin. “I also look forward to the valuable contributions that will be made by our current and new board members in the year ahead. Their leadership and commitment to the field of sleep medicine are pillars of strength for our organization.”

These leaders were nominated by the board of directors following their recommendation by the Nominating Committee, and their election was confirmed by a vote of the membership. Their terms will commence during the AASM General Membership Meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, June 5, during SLEEP 2017, the 31st annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS) in Boston.

Dr. Douglas B. Kirsch, who has been a member of the AASM since 2004, has participated on several AASM committees and served as chair of both the Maintenance of Certification Committee and the Program Committee for the SLEEP annual meeting. He will serve a one-year term before becoming the 2018-2019 president. Dr. Kirsch is the medical director of Carolinas HealthCare Sleep Medicine in Charlotte and is an associate professor in the department of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Dr. R. Nisha Aurora has been an AASM member since 2004 and has served as the chair of the Standards of Practice Committee and Adult OSA Quality Measures Workgroup, in addition to being a member of several guideline task forces. She is an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and associate medical director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Sleep Disorders Center. Dr. Aurora has been elected to a three-year term and will be eligible for reelection.

Dr. Carol L. Rosen, who has been a member of the AASM since 1998, has been chair of the Clinical Practice Review Committee and a member of several clinical practice guideline task forces and other committees. She is a professor in the department of pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and medical director of pediatric sleep services at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. She has been elected to a three-year term and will be eligible for reelection.

Dr. David A. Kristo has been an AASM member since 1997 and currently serves on the AASM board of directors. He is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, director of clinical services of the UPMC Sleep Center, and associate medical director of the UPMC Sleep Lab. He has been reelected for another three-year term.

Dr. Kannan Ramar has been an AASM member since 2006 and is a current member of the AASM board of directors. He is an associate professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he also serves as the program director for the pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship program and the education chair for the division. He has been reelected for another three-year term.

Dr. James A. Rowley has been a member of the AASM since 1996 and currently serves on the AASM board of directors. He is a professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, where he also is the chief of medicine at Harper University Hospital and program director of the pulmonary/critical care fellowship program for Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State University. He is completing a one-year term, has been reelected for a three-year term, and will be eligible for reelection.

Photos are available upon request. For more information, please contact Communications Coordinator Corinne Lederhouse at 630-737-9700, ext. 9366, clederhouse@aasm.org

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Established in 1975, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) improves sleep health and promotes high quality, patient-centered care through advocacy, education, strategic research, and practice standards. The AASM has a combined membership of 10,000 accredited member sleep centers and individual members, including physicians, scientists and other health care professionals.