A. J. Schwichtenberg

Courtesy Appointments

Department of Psychological Sciences; Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences

Areas of Expertise

• Sleep, Early Development, Neurodiversity, Autism

HHS Signature Research Area(s)

• Developmental Health and Wellness
• Healthy Lifestyles and Vital Longevity

Department of Human Development and Family Science Research Area(s)

• Culture and Diversity
• Early Childhood Education and Care
• Health and Well-Being
• Interpersonal Relations

Biography

Dr. A.J. Schwichtenberg is an Associate Professor at Purdue University in the College of Health and Human Sciences.  With appointments in the departments of Human Development and Family Science, Psychological Sciences (courtesy), and Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (courtesy), her programmatic line of work assesses how sleep and biosocial processes are developmentally consequential for children and families.  She directs the Sleep and Developmental Studies Laboratory and was an inaugural Co-director of the Purdue Autism Research Center.  Building on her diverse postdoctoral training at the Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute at the University of California Davis, Dr. Schwichtenberg applies bioecological theory and developmental psychopathology approaches to the study of sleep in children experiencing typical and atypical development.  Her research includes behavioral, genetic, neurologic, and contextual elements of sleep with a recent focus on how sleep dysregulation may share a mechanistic pathway with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Accepting graduate student applications for the December 1, 2025 deadline.

Education

• ARTP, 2012, University of California, Davis, MIND Institute
• PhD, 2008, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• MS, 2004, University of Wisconsin, Madison
• BA, 1997, Hamline University

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Safe Zone; ADVANCE-Purdue; Green Zone

Current Courses

• HDFS 314 - Atypical Child Development

Selected Publications

• Vijayakrishnan Nair, V., Kish, B., Oshima, H., Wen, Q., Tongs, Y., & Schwichtenbergs, A. J. (in press). Cerebral and Peripheral Hemodynamics across wakefulness and NREM Sleep. Journal of Sleep Research
• Frels, A. J., Vijayakrishnan Nair, V., Kish, R., Riley, K., Mao, G., Schwichtenberg, A. J., & Tong, Y. (in press). Coupling of low frequency hemodynamic oscillations between the brain and spinal cord. Human Brain Mapping
• Kellerman, A., Janis, A., Piergies, T., Young, G., Ozonoff, S., Messinger, D., Miller, M., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (in press). Dyadic synchrony and responsiveness in elevated autism likelihood: Applying time-varying effect models. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
• West, M., & Schwichtenbergf, A. J. (in press). Infant and Toddler Sleep Research: A Narrative Review of Developmental Shifts, Clinical Guidelines, Parenting Practices, Assessments, and Interventions. Infant Behavior and Development
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., Mirah, K., Janis, A., West, M., & Atkin, A. (2025). Diversity in Education Study (DivES): Explorations in Higher Education Neurodiversity. PLoS One, 20(7), e0327379.
• Kellerman, A., Masters, C., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (2024). Are maternal self-reports of social difficulties apparent in interactions with their children? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54, 3952-3963.
• Vijayakrishnan Nair, V., Kish, B., Chong, P., Yang, H., Wu, Y., Tong, Y., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (2023). Neurofluid coupling during sleep and wake states. Sleep Medicine, 110, 44-53.
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., Janis, A., Lindsey, A., Desai, H., Sahu, A., Kellerman, A., Chong, P., Abel, E., & Yatcilla, J. (2022). Sleep in children with autism spectrum disorder: A narrative review and systematic update. Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 8(4), 51-61.
• Bradshaw, J., Schwichtenberg, A. J., & Iverson, J. (2022). Capturing the Complexity of Autism – Applying a developmental cascades framework. Child Development Perspectives, 16, 18-26.
• Chong, P., Garic, D., Shen, M. D., Lundgaard, I., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (2022). Sleep, Cerebrospinal Fluid, and the Glymphatic System: A Systematic Review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 61, 101572.
• Chong, P., Abel, A., Pao, R., McCormick, C., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (2021). Sleep dysregulation and daytime electrodermal activity in children with Autism: A descriptive study. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 182, 335-347.
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., Abel, E., Keys, E., & Honaker, S. (2019). Diversity in pediatric behavioral sleep intervention studies. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 47, 103-111.
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., Kellerman, A., Miller, M., Young, G., & Ozonoff, S. (2019). Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: Play behaviors with infant siblings and social responsiveness. Autism, 23, 821-833.
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., Choe, J., Kellerman, A., Abel, E. A., & Delp, E. (2018). Pediatric videosomnography: Is automated sleep scoring possible? Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6, 158.
• Esbensen, A. J., & Schwichtenberg, A. J. (2016). Sleep in neurodevelopmental disorders. International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities, 51, 153-191.
• Schwichtenberg, A. J., & Malow, B. A. (2015). Melatonin treatment in children with developmental disabilities. Sleep Medicine Clinics, 10(2), 181-187.

Selected Honors/Awards

• Mellot Teaching Innovation Award, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue - November 1, 2024
• Focus Award, Office of Institutional Equity, Purdue University - April 29, 2022
• Undergraduate Research Enhancement Award, Center for Families, Purdue University - January 31, 2022
• NIH Pathways to Independence Award, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development - January 1, 2011
• Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health - July 1, 2005

Selected Grants

• Co-Principe Investigator, Sleep, feeding, and obesity risk during infancy in African American and Latinx families. Indiana CTSI, Collaboration in Translational Research. Schwichtenberg, Moding, Honaker (Co-PIs). Period: 05/01/2022 – 04/30/2024.
• Consultant, Recruitment and Deep Phenotyping of Infants with Angelman Syndrome to Enable Early Treatment. Angelman Syndrome Foundation. Capal (PI). Period: 01/01/2022-01/01/2024.
• Co-Investigator, Multi-site, longitudinal trial evaluating the efficacy, mechanisms, and moderators of service dogs for military Veterans with PTSD (R01 HD106413). O'Haire (PI). Period: 09/07/2021 – 09/06/2026.
• Co-Investigator, Familial genetic liability, risk for recurrence, and behavioral development in autism. Autism Science Foundation. Girault (PI). Period: 07/15/2021-07/14/2022.
• Co-Principe Investigator, Sleep, the glymphatic system, and social communication development (R03 HD104084). Schwichtenberg, Shen (Co-PIs). Period: 12/01/2020-11/31/2022.

Professional Affiliations

• Purdue Autism Research Center, Director
• Baby Siblings Research Consortium, Chair
• Pediatric Sleep Council, Advisory Committee
• Autism Research, Editorial Board