Aging Research in Sleep Equity and Dementia Prevention

02/06/2026

✨ Continuing Our Feature Friday Spotlight: Honoring Community Leadership ✨

In June 2025, Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH was honored with a Certificate of Award for Distinguished Service from All Saints Anglican Church in Queens, New York, recognizing his outstanding contributions to healthcare and service to the community.🏅

This award reflects Dr. Bubu’s continued commitment to advancing brain health, addressing health disparities, and engaging meaningfully with underserved communities through research, education, and service. We’re proud to celebrate this recognition and the impact of community-centered leadership in healthcare.💜

02/05/2026

It's throwback Thursday!✨

🔊 Community Conversation Recap: Sleep, Brain Health & Alzheimer’s Disease

Last Thursday, we were honored to take part in a meaningful community conversation on Alzheimer’s disease and the critical role of sleep in brain health, hosted by Roxanne Persaud with the Alzheimer's Association®

Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH joined as a featured speaker, sharing powerful insights on how sleep impacts cognitive aging, brain function, and long-term dementia risk. The discussion highlighted the importance of quality sleep, early awareness, and prevention, especially within communities that are often underserved.

The live Facebook webinar created space for thoughtful questions, shared experiences, and practical guidance around healthy brain habits, early detection, and available resources. Community members engaged actively, reinforcing just how vital accessible, science-based education is to promoting brain health.

We are deeply grateful to Senator Persaud, the Alzheimer’s Association, Dr. Bubu, and everyone who joined us for this important conversation. Events like these reflect our shared commitment to community-centered education, health equity, and building a healthier future one conversation at a time.

Together, we continue to elevate awareness around Alzheimer’s disease and why sleep matters more than we realize. 💜

02/02/2026

This February, we honor Black leaders, researchers, caregivers, and advocates who continue to strengthen our communities and advance equity in brain health.

At ARISE-DP, our work is rooted in addressing health disparities and elevating research, prevention, and care for populations that have been historically underserved and underrepresented.

While we recognize Black History Month each February, we also acknowledge that Black history, leadership, and impact are lived and made every day. This month, and every month, we remain committed to advancing brain health equity through research, education, and community-centered action.

02/02/2026

✨ Feature Fridays at ARISE-DP ✨

We’re kicking off a new series to highlight and celebrate the incredible people who make our work possible starting with two leaders whose partnership reflects the very heart of our mission.

This year, we proudly celebrate Dr. Joshua Gills and Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH whose mentorship, collaboration, and scientific excellence continue to move sleep and Alzheimer’s disease research forward.

👏 Dr. Joshua Gills, Postdoctoral Fellow, received the 2025 Outstanding Post-Doc Award at NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s Postdoc Slam, recognizing his impactful work in sleep, cognition, and Alzheimer’s research and his gift for translating complex science into compelling, accessible insights. His standout year also included the Most Data in One Minute Award at the 2025 Advances in Circadian and Sleep Science Conference, along with selection as a SOAR Fellow (AASM), SEE-Diversity Fellow, and BRAINS Affiliate.

This success is strengthened by the leadership of Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu, founding Director of ARISE-DP, who celebrated seven years at NYU Langone Health this summer. A physician-scientist and nationally recognized mentor, Dr. Bubu’s work has reshaped how we understand sleep, cognitive aging, and Alzheimer’s disease particularly through an equity-focused lens. His dedication to mentorship and community impact has earned him NYU Grossman School of Medicine’s 2024 Outstanding Postdoc Mentor Award and NYC’s 2025 Outstanding Community/Service Award.

Together, Dr. Bubu and Dr. Gills exemplify the ARISE-DP mission: advancing innovative science, uplifting the next generation of researchers, and building meaningful community partnerships to promote brain health for all.
Stay tuned as we continue to spotlight the amazing people behind our work 💜

01/13/2026

We’re excited to welcome a new member to our aging research team focused on sleep health and dementia prevention 🔎🧠

Kaitlyn Purdy, Research Data Associate

She brings strong training in public health research methods and a passion for applying data to real-world health challenges. Her expertise will strengthen our work to better understand how sleep patterns affect cognitive health in aging populations and to advance dementia prevention through improved sleep health.

Please join us in welcoming Kaitlyn to the team! 🎉

12/29/2025

🌙 Reflecting on Sleep Health Equity as 2025 Comes to a Close 🌙

As we approach the end of 2025, we’re proud to share a new policy brief from the Community Engagement Pillar at NYU’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE): Sleep Health Equity Policy Brief.

Guided by Dr. Omonigho Michael Bubu MD PhD MPH and colleagues across IEHE, this work explores ways to address disparities in sleep health and promote equitable access to restorative sleep for all communities. This brief highlights actionable strategies for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers to ensure healthy sleep is accessible to everyone.

As 2025 ends, this brief reminds us of the power of research, policy, and community engagement to drive meaningful change. Wishing everyone a peaceful holiday season and a well-rested start to 2026!

💡 Read the full brief here:

NYU Langone’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity offers a Health Policy Brief Series featuring research on critical health equity topics.