Tony Cunningham

Tony Cunningham is the Director of the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Cunningham's research focuses on understanding the role of sleep and sleep loss in emotion and memory processing and how knowledge of these systems can be applied to healthy and clinical populations. 

Learn more about Tony Cunningham here.

<Education>

Dr. Cunningham shares his journey from studying psychology to researching sleep & cognition, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, communication, and embracing changes in STEM.

<Key Questions>

Tell us about your job! What do you do on a daily basis?

I'm currently the director of the Sleep & Cognition Center. As the director, I do my own research but it is also my responsibility to take care of the administrative work such as handling paperwork, writing grants, and selecting new research topics with the staff. It's sort of like running a small business!

*Illustration of EEG

What skills do you utilize in your type of lab?

My lab is unique as it studies how humans sleep. We utilize wet lab skills such as pipetting but also require skills for human research. These include communication skills, usage of the electroencephalogram* (EEG), and more.

What steps did you take to pursue this career path?

<<College>>

In high school, I was interested in psychology which led me to attend the University of Notre Dame (UND) to pursue a Master's degree in psychology. Frankly, I had no concrete idea of what I wanted to study except for the fact that psychology was appealing to me. Unfortunately, my GPA during this time wasn't enough to prove my capabilities to other people so I ultimately decided to try something unique.

<<New experiences>>

After completing my Bachelor's at UND, I began my new job as a Recreation Director in the South Bend Juvenile Correctional Facility. Although the job enabled me to learn about special things that I would never have known in school, I wanted to continue my studies in psychology.

<<Back to School>>

That's why I decided to return to UND to earn a Doctoral Graduate degree. During my time there, my old supervisor reached out to me about an opportunity to study sleep with a new researcher. The interesting opportunity drew me in, and after completing the research I finally found what I wanted to do: study sleep!

Everyone faces difficulties in their life. How did you overcome obstacles leading up to your current career?

 Everyone experiences some difficulty in their career. I also faced some obstacles in my journey. For example, my GPA in college didn't meet the standards of certain institutions, making it challenging to prove that my potential exceeds my grades.

It was also hard when I was part of a Clinical psychology program in the neuroscience lab pursuing my PhD as I had to find balance in balance both fields. In this process, I had realized that I was not the best - but that's ok.

What do you wish you knew before starting your journey into STEM?

 I wish I started looking into my current major earlier. I feel like the earlier you start, the easier it is since 

What advice do you have for high schoolers looking to pursue this career?

 It's never too early to start. If you are interested in something, do it! High school students are young, and they have time, so it's good to try different things to find what you are passionate about. Networking is super important too. Go to seminars, join a community, or meet new people to network. Try to get as many opportunities as you can, developing as many skills as possible!

What are some general life advice you have for high schoolers?

"High school can be difficult, but try to enjoy the moments. Trusting yourself is very important. High school is the time of your life to try new things! There are no significant consequences, and you have time in your life to explore. Don’t get too insecure about the future and other people. Just be you."

"Trust yourself. Do not compare yourself with others too much. Just be you."

Editor: Heather Kim

A huge thanks to Dr. Cunningham for his time and effort put into supporting SciSapience. We look forward to his experiences, helpful advice and knowledge continuing to inspire and strengthen other high school students.

Learn more about Tony Cunningham here.