Alyssa Gamaldo-Roddy

Dr. Alyssa Gamaldo-Roddy is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Clemson University, affiliated with the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from North Carolina State University (2009), an M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Johns Hopkins University (2004), and a B.A. in Psychology from North Carolina State University (1999). Her research focuses on cognitive functioning, sleep health, and health disparities in aging populations, particularly among Black and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. She collaborates on longitudinal studies such as the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS).

Dr. Gamaldo’s work explores protective and adverse factors influencing cognitive health, including sleep quality, socioeconomic stressors, and digital health assessment tools. She has published extensively in journals like *Alzheimer’s & Dementia*, *Sleep Medicine*, and *The Journal of Gerontology*. Her honors include the GSA Fellowship (2018) and NIH Loan Repayment Award (2014-2018). She mentors underrepresented students in aging research and teaches courses on adult development, biomedical aging, and heterogeneous aging processes.

Key grants include NIH-funded studies on sleep-cognition links in Black adults and health equity in aging. She collaborates across disciplines (e.g., sleep medicine, public health) and co-leads initiatives like the Johns Hopkins Sleep Dream Team. Her research emphasizes translational approaches to address disparities in aging outcomes.