Reception will Recognize the Extensive Contributions of Professor Thomas Roth to the SRS and AASM

On June 1 during SLEEP 2014 in Minneapolis, the Sleep Research Society and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine will honor Professor Thomas Roth, who recently retired from the full-time faculty at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, where he founded the Sleep Disorders and Research Center in 1978. All attendees are invited to register for the annual Welcome Reception, which this year will recognize his outstanding and varied career contributions to the development of the field's professional societies and the progression of sleep research and sleep medicine.

A diverse and extensive list of awards recognizes the breadth of Dr. Roth's contributions over decades. These include the 1990 AASM Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award, the 1998 SRS Distinguished Scientist Award, a 1999 Worldwide Service Award from the World Federation of Sleep Research Societies, the 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award of the National Sleep Foundation, and the 2012 SRS Mary Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award.

Sleep medicine and sleep research during the past 45 years have been markedly and positively influenced by Tom Roth.¹ Not only has he contributed via numerous seminal scientific findings and their translation to clinical practice, but his guidance and altruistic efforts have been instrumental to the evolution of the field's organizations, journals, research pipeline, and relationships with other disciplines and biomedical institutions. As the second president of the AASM and the only two-time president of the SRS, his contributions to both societies have been remarkable. Tom's extraordinary intelligence, abilities and intensity made him a phenomenal figure in our field. Yet he also possesses a demeanor of rare and unpretentious humility, along with skillful tact and diplomacy, which have enabled him to play a unique and critical role as a bridge-builder between the scientific and clinical communities. Throughout his career Tom fostered the development of sleep research and medicine as complimentary professional disciplines. Numerous times when the field reached a pivotal and uncertain point of transition, he was sought for leadership and direction. The following career highlights provide present and future sleep professionals with a brief view of Tom's many professional accomplishments and his unwavering support for friends and colleagues.

American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Dr. Roth was one of a handful of leaders who met together in 1975 to establish the Association of Sleep Disorders Centers (ASDC), which later became the AASM, and he helped chart its direction as a professional society. After Dr. William Dement served as president for the organization's first 12 years, the ASDC was faced with the daunting task of selecting his successor. Dr. Roth was the obvious choice. Following in the footsteps of a luminary such as Dr. Dement was no small undertaking, yet Tom embraced the challenge and successfully handled it with characteristic grace and vigor, serving as president from 1987–1988. Under his leadership the board of directors made the crucial decision to reorganize as the American Sleep Disorders Association (ASDA), combining the memberships of the ASDC and the Clinical Sleep Society (CSS), a separate organization that had been formed in 1984. This visionary decision to establish a dual membership structure for both center and individual members paved the way for the organization's explosive growth from less than 1,000 members in the late 1980s to more than 10,000 members today.

Sleep Research Society

Dr. Roth was the 11^th president of the SRS from 1979–1981, and when his leadership was needed again he served a second term as president from 1994–1995. In each case his presidency coincided with important national developments upon which the SRS was able to capitalize in order to expand the footprint of sleep and circadian research. The first breakthrough was in 1979 when the Office of the Surgeon General created Project Sleep, which was one of the first federal initiatives to focus attention on the importance of sleep science. The second advancement was the establishment of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research (NCSDR) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1993. Tom became chair of the inaugural NCSDR Advisory Board from 1994–1996 and helped steer the creation of the first national plan for sleep research. His sound guidance helped the SRS grow into the scientific society that it is today, with a membership of more than 1,200 veteran researchers, young investigators and trainees. His influence also aided the SRS in working more closely with government officials to support federal funding for sleep research and promote public health policies that apply principles of sleep and circadian science.

SLEEP Annual Meeting

The first annual meetings organized through a joint partnership between the AASM and SRS took place in 1986 in Columbus, Ohio, and 1988 in San Diego, California. For the first six years of this new collaboration, Tom was chair of the annual meeting's Scientific Program Committee. Under his stewardship, annual attendance doubled from less than 750 to more than 1,500 attendees, and exhibitor support and the number of abstract presentations likewise grew. Tom's diligent efforts laid the foundation for the SLEEP annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC (APSS), which has become the most important scientific and clinical sleep meeting in the world, attracting more than 5,000 attendees and hosting more than 1,000 abstract presentations each year.

Journal SLEEP

In 1996 the APSS assumed all oversight of publishing operations for the journal SLEEP. One of its first administrative changes was to implement a rotation of editors. Therefore, a search committee was formed to appoint a successor to Founding Editor-in-Chief Dr. Christian Guilleminault, who had shepherded the journal since its first issue was published in January 1978. Once again Tom was selected to serve during a critical transition period, and he assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief in 1998. He made lasting contributions to the development of the journal by streamlining the review process, taking on the publication of the SLEEP annual meeting abstracts, and launching the SLEEP website, where all of the journal's articles began to be archived. Tom played a significant role in the journal's rise as the most influential peer-reviewed publication in the field, as evidenced by an impact factor that now exceeds 5.0 each year.

Board Certification

In 1978 Dr. Roth helped give direction to the first examination in clinical polysomnography, which was passed by 21 candidates. The exam laid the preliminary groundwork for the board certification examination in sleep medicine that was administered first by the American Board of Sleep Medicine (ABSM) and today by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM), with oversight from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). This effort bore great fruit, as the AASM estimates that there are about 7,500 board certified sleep specialists today.

Other Leadership Roles

Dr. Roth also was a founder and inaugural president of the National Sleep Foundation (1990–1993), a member of the Governing Board of the World Federation of Sleep Research Societies (1990–2002), a frequent grant reviewer for NIH and other funding agencies, and a tireless and enthusiastic invited lecturer around the world. He also has participated in major NIH-sponsored sleep conferences and workshops since 1984. No one else assumed more early leadership roles in national and international sleep organizations, educational efforts, or federal programs, and his legacy of leadership will be long-lasting.

Scientific Contributions

Tom's scientific and theoretical contributions are found in 425 original articles, 220 chapters and monographs, and 15 edited volumes, including his co-editorship of all five editions (soon to be six) of The Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. He and his Henry Ford colleagues made major advances in our understanding of sleep-related psychopharmacology (e.g., hypnotics, alcohol and stimulants); the prevalence, pathophysiology, and impact of insomnia; and the prevalence and determinants of daytime sleepiness, among other areas.

Mentorship

Those who have worked directly under his supervision at Henry Ford have a particularly insightful view of Tom's character and leadership. All who have worked with him directly cannot imagine a mentor who is more generous, kind and thoughtful. Despite heading a large and internationally recognized clinical sleep center and research laboratory for over 35 years, he somehow found the time to supervise thesis and dissertations of 18 students at five different universities. Tom has a rare and infectious combination of curiosity, determination, and nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic that one cannot escape. Many of Professor Roth's trainees are now established leaders in the sleep field.

Tom Roth's impact as a mentor stretches well beyond Henry Ford, beyond Michigan, and indeed beyond the borders of the United States, to the international Sleep and Circadian fields of research, around the globe. We are grateful for the years of dedication and excellence he has bestowed upon our field and look forward to honoring his career and contributions to the two societies that host the APSS meeting this year in Minneapolis.

CITATION

Walsh JK, Drake CL, Badr MS. Reception will recognize the extensive contributions of professor Thomas Roth to the SRS and AASM. SLEEP 2014;37(5):831-832.