Dr. Tony J Cunningham

Dr. Tony Cunningham

Tony has recently taken over as the Director for the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

Tony received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, completed his clinical internship at the VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System, and recently received his license to practice psychology in the state of Massachusetts.

Tony's primary research focus is understanding the role of sleep and sleep loss in emotion and memory processing, and how knowledge of these systems can be applied to both healthy and clinical populations. In choosing to pursue clinical training within cognitive neuroscience labs, Tony's background has prepared him to carve a niche at the intersection between neuroscience and clinical practice. His long-term research goal is to understand changes in underlying brain networks responsible for emotional processing following sleep loss, and translate this knowledge into the development of novel and effective therapeutic interventions.

Tony recently received a K23 from NIMH and a career development award from the Sleep Research Society Foundation to help jumpstart his independent research program at the Center for Sleep and Cognition.

View past media appearances by Dr. Tony Cunningham and personnel from the Center for Sleep and Cognition.

Curriculum Vitae | Curriculum Vitae (HMS format)

Education

  • BA in Psychology/Pre-Professional Studies | University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

  • MA in Clinical Psychology | University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

  • PhD in Clinical Psychology | University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN

  • Clinical Psychology Internship | VA Eastern Kansas Healthcare System, Leavenworth, KS

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Boston College

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Harvard Medical School

Funding

  • Dr. Tony Cunningham, P.I.
    The Impact of Insufficient Sleep and Insomnia Disorder on Behavioral and Neural Markers of Emotion Regulation
    National Institute of Mental Health (1K23MH127464-01A1)
    6.15.22 – 5.31.2027
    This grant funds research with the goal of determining the overlapping and distinct impact of Insomnia Disorder and multiple nights of truncated sleep in healthy controls on neural and behavioral responses during emotion regulation.
    Role: Primary Investigator

  • Dr. Tony Cunningham, P.I.
    Utilizing Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) during Sleep to Enhance Slow Waves and Cognitive Function in Schizophrenia
    Sleep Research Society Foundation Career Development Award
    Start date August 1, 2022
    This grant funds research applying tDCS during sleep to enhance slow wave and spindle features during non-REM sleep in healthy patients and patients with schizophrenia and determine the cognitive impact in any changes in the sleep micro- and macroarchitecture.
    Role: Primary Investigator

Clinical Trials

  • The Effect of Sleep Loss on Emotion Regulation (NCT05393830)

          Location: Boston, MA 

          Status: Active, Recruiting

  • The Effect of Sleep Deprivation and Recovery Sleep on Emotional Memory and Affective Reactivity (NCT03767426)

          Location: Boston, MA 

          Status: Active, Recruiting

Publications from the University of Notre Dame

For recent work, see the CfSC Research Page

  • Bolinger, E., Cunningham, T. J., Born, J., Bowman, M.A., Bulca, E., Payne, J. D., & Zinke, K. (2019) Sleep's benefits to emotional processing emerge in the long term. Cortex, 120, 457-470, PMID: 31476555.   PDF

  • Bowman, M., Cunningham, T. J., Levin-Aspenson, H., O’Rear, A., Pauszek, J., Ellickson-Larew, S., Martinez, B., & Payne, J.D. (2019). Anxious, but not depressive, symptoms are associated with poorer prospective memory performance in healthy college students: Preliminary evidence using the tripartite model of anxiety and depression. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 41(7), 694-703, PMID: 31084349.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T. J.,* Leal, S. L.,* Yassa, M. A., & Payne, J. D. (2018). Post-encoding stress enhances mnemonic discrimination of negative stimuli. Learning & Memory, 25(12), 611-619, PMID: 30442769.   PDF

  • Alger, S. E., Pardilla-Delgado, E., Mattingly S. M., Cunningham, T. J., & Payne J. D. (2017) The Cognitive Psychology of Sleep and Memory. In J. Byrne, S. Sara, R. Menzel, & J. Wixted, (Eds.), Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference 2E. Elsevier.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T.J. (2017). Sleep: The Elusive White Whale of Graduate School. Clinical Science: Society for the Science of Clinical Psychology, Section III of the Division of Clinical Psychology of the APA Newsletter, 20 (1), 15-16.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T.J. & Payne, J. D. (2017). Emotional Memory Consolidation during Sleep. In N. Axmacher & B. Rasch (Eds.), Cognitive Neuroscience of Memory Consolidation. Springer.   PDF

  • Pardilla-Delgado, E., Alger, S. E., Cunningham, T. J., Kinealy, B., & Payne, J. D. (2016). Effects of post-encoding stress on performance in the DRM false memory paradigm. Learning & Memory, 23(1), 46-50, PMID: 26670187.   PDF

  • Alger SE, Chambers AM, Cunningham TJ, Payne JD. (2015). The role of sleep in human declarative memory consolidation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci, 25, 269-306. PMID: 25227928.   PDF

  • Pardilla-Delgado, E., Mattingly, S.M., Alger, S.E., Chambers, A., Cunningham, T.J., & Payne, J. D. (2015). Sleep’s role in the consolidation and integration of declarative memories. In M. Sakakibara & E. Ito (Eds.), Memory Consolidation. Nova Science Publishers: New York.  PDF

  • Alger, S., Chambers, A., Cunningham, T.J., & Payne, J. D. (2014). The role of sleep in human declarative memory consolidation. In P. Meerlo, R. Benca, & T. Abel. (Eds.), Sleep, Neuronal Plasticity and Brain Function. Springer.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T.J., Pardilla-Delgado, E., Alger, S. & Payne, J. D. (2014). The Role of REM Sleep in Emotional Memory and Affective Reactivity in Humans. In C. Saylor (Ed.), REM Sleep: Characteristics, Disorders and Physiological Effects. Nova Science Publishers: New York.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T.J., Chambers, A & Payne, J. D. (2014). Prospection and emotional memory: how expectation affects emotional memory formation following sleep and wake. Frontiers Special Issue on Prospection, 5, 862, PMID: 25136328.   PDF

  • Cunningham, T.J., Crowell, C., Alger, S., Villano, M., Mattingly, S., & Payne, J. D. (2014). Psychophysiological arousal at encoding leads to reduced reactivity but enhanced emotional memory following sleep. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 114, 155-164. PMID: 24952130.   PDF

*Shared first authorship on work

Media References & Appearances

Affiliations & Credentials

  • Licensed Clinical Psychologist in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts | #11885

  • Member of the Faculty, Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

  • Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School

  • Research Staff, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College

  • Research WOC, Department of Veteran Affairs

  • Vice Chair, Membership Committee | Sleep Research Society

  • 2015 - 2017 Trainee Member-at-Large | Sleep Research Society

  • 2015 - 2017 Co-Founder and Vice President | Cognitive Neuroscience Society Trainee Association

Select Awards & Honors

For complete list of Awards & Honors, see full Curriculum Vitae

  • 2022 | Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Harvard University, GENED 1038: Sleep Course

  • 2022 | Certificate of Distinction in Teaching, Harvard University, Neurobiology of Sleep Course

  • 2020 | Young Investigators Research Forum Scholarship, Sleep Research Society Foundation

  • 2019 | Abstract Meritorious Award, Sleep Research Society

  • 2018 | K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award, Association of American Colleges & Universities

  • 2017 | Department of Psychology’s Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, University of Notre Dame

  • 2017 | Abstract Meritorious Award, Sleep Research Society

  • 2016 | The Sister Jean Lenz, O.S.F. Leadership Award, University of Notre Dame

  • 2016 | Distinguished Service Award, Sleep Research Society

  • 2016 | Dissertation Grant Award, Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology

  • 2014 | Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts Founders and Directors 30th Anniversary Research Award, University of Notre Dame

  • 2014 | Graduate Research Challenge Award, Graduate School, University of Notre Dame

  • 2014 | Abstract Meritorious Award, Sleep Research Society

  • 2013 | Student Travel Award, Society for Psychophysiological Research

  • 2013 | Department of Psychology’s Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award, University of Notre Dame

  • 2012 | First Time Attendee Trainee Travel Award, Sleep Research Society

  • 2010 - 2011 | Alumni INC@ND Graduate Tuition Scholarship

Connect with Dr. Cunningham on Social Media