Amy M. Sawyer

Amy M. Sawyer, PhD, RN is a Professor of Sleep & Health Behavior at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, where she serves as Director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. She maintains a joint appointment as Clinician Educator & Scientist at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center, advancing evidence-based practice for Patient Care Services. Her academic leadership spans program direction, curriculum development, and fostering academic-practice partnerships between Penn and the VA healthcare system.

• PhD, University of Pennsylvania (2007)
• MScN, Johns Hopkins University (1995)
• BSN, Millersville University (1992)

Dr. Sawyer's research centers on health behaviors related to sleep disorders, particularly focusing on treatment adherence for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Her clinical experience in pulmonary medicine and sleep laboratories revealed critical gaps in patient acceptance of sleep-disordered breathing treatments, leading to the development of the Index for Nonadherence to PAP (I-NAP) screening tool. She investigates how patient perspectives influence treatment effectiveness, emphasizing that treatments must be both efficacious and acceptable to patients. Her work bridges scientific discovery with practical implementation, translating sleep science into everyday best practices through behavioral interventions and healthcare system innovations.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on CPAP/PAP adherence disparities across racial and ethnic groups, innovative telehealth interventions for sleep disorder management, and the development of culturally relevant care models. Her research increasingly addresses social determinants of health while maintaining technical rigor in sleep medicine methodology, with significant contributions to understanding behavioral mechanisms underlying treatment success.

• Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching (2023)
• Penn Fellows Program Fellowship (2023-2024)
• Samuel T. Kuna Excellence in Research Mentoring Award (2019)
• NIH Early Career Reviewer (2015)
• American Nurses Foundation Scholar (2011-2013)

Dr. Sawyer actively mentors PhD candidates, postdoctoral trainees, and DNP students, with a particular focus on developing nurse scientists through the Penn Fellows Program. Her grant portfolio includes NIH-funded studies on adherence disparities and telehealth interventions, with recent projects examining CPAP adherence in minority populations and cost-effectiveness of tele-messaging interventions. She serves on editorial boards for Behavioral Sleep Medicine and Sleep Health journals, contributing to the field's scholarly discourse while building research capacity within nursing.

Through her VA appointment, Dr. Sawyer collaborates with interdisciplinary teams including staff nurses, clinical nurse leaders, and executive leadership to implement evidence-based practices across healthcare delivery systems. Her work integrates clinical practice, research, and education to advance sleep health as a pillar of overall wellbeing, particularly focusing on veteran populations and addressing healthcare inequities in sleep disorder management.