Briana Taylor

Briana Taylor is a research assistant professor in Life Sciences and Medical Science at the Roux Institute and in the psychology department at Northeastern University. Broadly, Taylor’s research seeks to evaluate the extent to which modifiable features of sleep and the circadian system can be leveraged to improve daytime functioning. Her work emphasizes the importance of sleep/wake rhythm stability and the consequences of misalignment between biological and behavioral rhythms. Taylor’s current work seeks to understand the mechanistic role of circadian phase in challenging daytime behaviors among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In collaboration with research faculty at the Roux Institute, Taylor seeks to develop a computational sleep science program that utilizes 24-hour ambulatory and passive data collection tools to better understand dynamic associations between bio-behavioral measures of sleep and circadian functioning and mental/physical health outcomes.

Prior to joining the Roux Institute, Taylor was a postdoctoral research fellow and then a faculty scientist at MaineHealth. As a postdoc, Taylor was awarded a Pathway to Independence Award from the NICHD to study circadian phase delay in children and adolescents with ASD.

Taylor earned her PhD in Biological and Health Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh. During her doctoral work, Taylor studied the relevance of sleep and circadian rhythms for health and functioning. She is a current member of the Sleep Research Society and the International Society for Autism Research.