Dr. Adaeze Okafor
Department: Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
Location: Harmon Hall, Room 212
Research Status: Active — enrollment open
Current Project: Behavioral Indexing in Sleep-Disorder Cognitive Profiles
Biography
Dr. Adaeze Okafor joined the Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Wexler University in 2014. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Emory University in 2012, with a dissertation focusing on cognitive profiling in populations with comorbid insomnia and anxiety disorder. Following her doctorate she completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine's Sleep Disorders Program before transitioning to her current position.
Dr. Okafor's research examines how chronic sleep disruption produces identifiable and stable changes in behavioral and cognitive profiles over time. Her current study, which is actively enrolling participants, is investigating whether the behavioral indexing patterns observed in sleep-disorder populations are predictive of long-term outcome across a range of sleep disorder subtypes. Enrollment is open to individuals with a documented sleep disorder diagnosis; contact the department for eligibility information.
Dr. Okafor also maintains an interest in assessment methodology and collaborates with Dr. Mross on aspects of the department's neurobehavioral instrument validation project.
Research Interests
- Cognitive profiling in chronic sleep disorder populations
- Behavioral indexing and longitudinal outcome prediction
- Comorbid insomnia and anxiety — cognitive and behavioral correlates
- Clinical assessment methodology in sleep research
Publications and Presentations
Stable Behavioral Indexing in Chronic Sleep Disorder Populations: Study Design and Enrollment Protocol
Cognitive Profile Persistence in Comorbid Insomnia and Generalized Anxiety: A Longitudinal Assessment
Behavioral Assessment of Cognitive Load in Sleep-Disrupted Populations: Preliminary Observations