Wilfred R. Pigeon

Wilfred R. Pigeon is a tenured Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health Sciences at the University of Rochester Medical Center, where he directs the Sleep & Neurophysiology Research Lab. He previously served as Director at the Department of Veterans Affairs Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention and remains a Senior Researcher there. His work bridges clinical practice and research in sleep disorders, psychiatric integration, and suicide prevention.

• PhD in Clinical Psychology (Union Institute, 2002)
• Postdoctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Medicine & Sleep (Dartmouth, 2004)
• National Research Service Award (University of Rochester, 2004-2007)

Dr. Pigeon's research focuses on sleep disturbance mechanisms, particularly in comorbid medical and mental health conditions like PTSD, chronic pain, and depression. He specializes in adapting evidence-based sleep interventions for primary care integration and population health, with recent work examining insomnia's role in suicidal behaviors and alcohol use disorders. His team has developed digital CBT-I implementations and predictive models for depression treatment response.

His 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) span topics including:

• CBT-I implementation fidelity
• Nightmare impacts on suicide risk
• Sleep quality in neurology units
• Digital interventions for depression-insomnia
• Wearable device applications for sleep monitoring
• Pharmacological approaches to delirium

Awarded by NIH, VA, and professional organizations, Dr. Pigeon leads multidisciplinary collaborations with teams in sleep medicine, behavioral health, and implementation science. He trains clinicians in sleep interventions and contributes to national suicide prevention initiatives through the Veterans Crisis Line research.