Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski is a nationally recognized sleep scientist, clinician, and public health leader who directs the scientific mission of the National Sleep Foundation. As Senior Vice President of Research & Scientific Affairs, he oversees the Foundation’s evidence-based sleep health guidelines, shapes its research agenda, and serves as a primary scientific voice for media, industry, and policy partners across the country.

A former tenured Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Dzierzewski built a prolific research program at the intersection of sleep, aging, and behavioral medicine. He is a well-funded investigator with more than $11 million in total research support and over 400 scholarly works, including 170 peer-reviewed publications, multiple edited volumes and chapters, and more than 250 scientific presentations. Independent analyses have identified him as the most published author in the field of sleep in older adults, underscoring his leadership in this critical area of population health.

Dr. Dzierzewski has served on scientific review committees for the National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and as Associate Editor for several academic journals. His editorial and conceptual expertise have made him a trusted arbiter of scientific rigor and a leader in shaping the direction of sleep research.

A committed science communicator, he works to translate complex sleep science for the public, healthcare professionals, and policymakers. His insights have been featured across national and regional media, in podcasts, and presentations to legislative bodies. His work reflects a core belief: that advancing sleep health requires not only generating high-quality science, but ensuring that science is accessible, actionable, and impactful.

Trained as a Clinical Health Psychologist with specialization in behavioral sleep medicine, Dr. Dzierzewski maintains an active clinical license, grounding his scientific leadership in real-world patient care and ensuring that his work remains connected to the lived experiences of individuals and families.