Candice Alfano, Ph.D. DBSM
University of Maryland – College Park, 2005
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Contact:
Psychology B 413
Phone: (631) 632-7852
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Dr. Candice Alfano will be reviewing graduate student applications for the 2026-2027 academic year.
Research Interests:
The role of sleep in the development, maintenance, and treatment of emotional problems
and disorders; Development and implementation of evidence-based behavioral cognitive
behavioral interventions; Childhood adverse experiences and interpersonal trauma;
Child welfare and foster care.
Current Research:
My research program focuses on the ways sleep and mental health interact in childhood to buffer against or increase risk for negative emotional and behavioral outcomes across the life course. I am particularly interested in the role of sleep disturbance in the pathogenesis of trauma-related disorders, as well as the impact of media exposure on children’s sleep and mental health. My lab also uses findings from experimental and longitudinal studies to develop and test novel interventions targeting sleep in high-risk populations. One of these interventions is Sleep and Adjustment in Foster Environments (SAFE), a brief, trauma-informed sleep intervention for children in foster care.
CURRENT FUNDING
Developmental impacts of sleep on positive valence systems and socio-emotional functioning during pre-adolescence (2024-2029).National Institute of Mental Health. [co-PI; R01 MH137263]
Experimental effects of light and content from evening screen media use on children’s sleep, executive functioning, and emotion regulation (2023-2028). National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. [co-PI; R01 HD112349]
B-SAFE: A Trauma-Informed Early Intervention Targeting Sleep and Adjustment among School-Aged Children in Foster Care (2022-2025). National Institute of Mental Health. [PI; R34 MH128598]
PUBLICATIONS: Books
C.A. Alfano & D.C. Beidel (Eds.) (2014), Comprehensive Evidence-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents. Wiley-Blackwell; Hoboken, NJ.
D.C. Beidel & C.A. Alfano (2011), Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Guide to Research and Treatment (2nd edition). Taylor & Francis/Routledge Mental Health; New York, NY.
C.A. Alfano & D.C. Beidel (Eds.) (2011), Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults: Translating Developmental Science into Practice. American Psychological Association; Washington, D.C.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS: Journal Articles
Rusin, K., Neblett, G., Wolfson, A., Ripple, C., McGlinchey, E., Booher, J. & Alfano, C.A. (in press). Prioritizing Sleep Health in Foster Care: Trauma-Informed Considerations for Policy. SRCD Social Policy Report.
Alfano, C.A.,Rech, M.E., Harmouch, S., Gallagher, M.G. & Zhang, Y. (2024). Sleep and Adjustment in Foster Environments for Toddlers and Preschoolers (SAFE-T): Initial Efficacy of a Sleep Intervention for Young Children in Foster Care. Child Abuse and Neglect, 157, 107083.
Reynolds, K. & Alfano, C.A.(2024). Sleep Extension among Adolescents Promotes Positive, Goal-Directed Emotional Responses During Social Interactions: A Pilot Study. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 3, 388-408.
Alfano, C.A. (2024). The 4C Model of Healthy Sleep for Childhood Interpersonal Trauma. Children and Youth Services Review, 157, 107412.
Cifre, A.B., Budnick, C. Bick, J., McGlinchey, E., Ripple, C., Wolfson, A.R., & Alfano, C.A. (2024). Sleep Health Among Children Adopted from Foster Care: A Propensity Score Matched Study. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 22, 472-487.
Palmer, C. A., Bower, J. L., Cho, K.W., Clementi, M. A., Lau, S., Oosterhoff, B. & Alfano, C. A.(2024). Sleep loss and emotion: A systematic review and meta-analysis of over 50 years of experimental research. Psychological Bulletin, 150, 440-463.
Myers, A.M., Rech, M.E., Baran, B., Palmer, C.A., Mylonas, D. & Alfano, C.A. (2024). Sleep Spindle Activity is Associated with State- and Trait-based Emotion in Healthy School-Aged Children. Sleep Medicine, 113, 56-60.
So, C.J., LaVoy, E., Harmouch, S., & Alfano, C.A. (2024). Objective and subjective sleep patterns and biomarkers of stress among women with a history of sexual abuse in childhood. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16, S293-S301.
Palmer, C. A., Bahn, A., Deutchman, D., Bower, J. L., Weems, C. F., & Alfano, C. A.(2023). Sleep disturbances and delayed sleep timing are associated with greater post-traumatic stress symptoms in youth following Hurricane Harvey. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 54, 1534-45.
Alfano, C.A., Valentine, M, Muñoz Nogales, J, Kim, J, Kim, JS, Rigos, P, McGlinchey, EL, Ripple, CH, Wolfson, AR (2022). How are the Sleep Problems of Children in the U.S. Foster Care System Addressed? Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 43, 525-532.
Venta, A. & Alfano, C.A.(2022). Sleep duration buffers the effects of adversity on mental health among recently immigrated Latinx adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 15, 235–247
Alfano, C.A.,Kim, J., Cifre, A.B., Bower, J.L. & Palmer, C.A. (2021). Children’s emotional responses to sleep restriction forecast social problems years later. Affective Science, 3, 383-388.
Rojo-Wissar, D.M., Sosnowski, D.W., Ingram, M.M., Jacksonb, C.L., Mahera, B.S., Alfano, C.A., Meltzer, L.J., & Spira, A.P. (2021). Associations of Adverse Childhood Experiences with Adolescent Sleep Time, Social Jetlag and Insomnia Symptoms. Sleep Medicine, 88, 104-115.
So, C., Gallagher, M., Palmer, C. & Alfano, C. (2021). Prospective Associations between Pre- sleep Electronics Use and Sleep Patterns the Same Night in Healthy Children. Child Health Care, 50, 293-310.
Zvolensky, M. J., Garey, L., Rogers, A. H., Schmidt, N. B., Vujanovic, A. A., Storch, E. A., Buckner, J. D., Paulus, D. J., Alfano, C.A.,Smits, J. A. J., & O’Cleirigh, C. (2020). Psychological, addictive, and health behavior implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 134, 103715.
Alfano, C.A., Bower, J., Harvey, A. Sharp, C.S., Beidel, D.C. & Palmer, C.A. (2020). Sleep Restriction Alters Children’s Positive Emotional Responses, but Effects are Moderated by Anxiety. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61, 1150-1159.
Clementi, M.A. & Alfano, C.A.(2020). Efficacy of an Integrated Sleep and Anxiety Intervention for Anxious Children: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 25, 945-95,
Palmer, C. & Alfano, C.A.(2020). Anxiety Modifies the Emotional Effects of Sleep Loss. Current Opinion in Psychology, 34, 100-104.
Bower, J.L., McLaughlin, M., Connaboy, C. Simpson, R. & Alfano, C.A.(2019). Factor Structure and Validation of the Mental Health Checklist (MHCL) for use in Isolated, Confined and Extreme Environments. Acta Astronautica, 61, 405-414
Alfano, C.A.(2018). (Re)Conceptualizing sleep among children with anxiety disorders: where to next? Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 21, 482–499.
Palmer, C.A., Oosterhoff, B., *Bower, J.L., Kaplow, J.B & Alfano, C.A.(2018). Emotion Regulation as a Mediator of Sleep Problems and Affective Psychopathology in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 96, 1-8.
Barrios, C.S., Jay, S., Smith, V.C., Alfano, C.A.& Dougherty, L.R. (2018). Stability and Predictive Validity of the Parent-Child Sleep Interactions Scale (PSIS): A Longitudinal Study from Early to Middle Childhood. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 47, 382-396.
Palmer, C. & Alfano, C.A.(2017). Sleep and Emotion Regulation: An Organizing, Integrative Review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 31, 6-16.