Student Linking Sleep Disruption and Depression in Pregnant Women

Supported by a National Institutes of Health grant, clinical psychology PhD candidate Sammy Dhaliwal set out to test how sleep deprivation contributes to depression in pregnant and postpartum women. The large research team she assembled included GW medical students, researchers from Children’s National Medical Center and Apple and Deloitte consultants. “Depression during pregnancy or postpartum affects not just the mom but the baby, too. It has the potential to change the trajectory of a child's life,” said Dhaliwal.