Orfeu M. Buxton

Orfeu M. Buxton is a Professor of Biobehavioral Health at Pennsylvania State University's College of Health and Human Development. He serves as Associate Director of both the Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute and the Penn State Social Science Research Institute. Dr. Buxton directs the Sleep, Health & Society Collaboratory and serves as Editor in Chief of Sleep Health (2019-2025). His academic journey includes positions at Harvard University, where he held appointments at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School's Division of Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Buxton's research focuses on the causes of chronic sleep deficiency in workplace, home, and societal contexts, along with their health consequences and underlying physiological and social mechanisms. His work spans multiple research areas including sleep health in biopsychosocial frameworks, biomarkers of health and wellbeing (including digital biomarkers), acoustic disruption and enhancement of sleep, and successful aging across the life course. He leads interdisciplinary studies examining sleep health in free-ranging humans of all ages, with current projects including the Child and Family Well-Being Study and the Einstein Aging Study.

His most recent publications demonstrate expertise in sleep health across the lifespan, examining connections between sleep patterns and outcomes ranging from cognitive decline in older adults to academic functioning in adolescents. His research employs diverse methodologies including actigraphy, biomarker analysis, and large-scale epidemiological studies. Dr. Buxton's work has particular emphasis on sleep disparities across different demographic groups and the social determinants of sleep health.

• 2025 Pattishall Outstanding Research Achievement Award
• Editor in Chief, Sleep Health (2019-2025)

Dr. Buxton maintains an active NIH-funded research program with multiple principal investigator and co-investigator roles. His grant portfolio includes studies on sleep health and cognitive decline in older adults (R01AG062622), the Einstein Aging Study (P01AG003949), and investigations into sleep-related disparities in U.S. children's learning difficulties (R03HD104796). His work with the Work, Family, and Health Network has examined how workplace interventions affect sleep and health outcomes.

As director of the Sleep, Health & Society Collaboratory, Dr. Buxton leads a multidisciplinary team examining the complex relationships between sleep, health, and societal factors. His research has been featured in major media outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and NBC Nightly News, particularly regarding workplace sleep health and the impact of noise on sleep quality.