Caroline Hoyniak

Caroline Hoyniak

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Education & Training


  • Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, NIMH T32: Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 2021
  • PhD: Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 2019
  • BA: Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO, 2012

Major Awards


  • NIMH K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, 2021
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, 2014
  • Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Award, 2023

Research Interests


Dr. Hoyniak’s research focuses on the development of sleep problems in early childhood, exploring how early sleep problems and chronodisruption contribute to later risk for both internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. She uses a combination of psychophysiological (e.g., actigraphy, polysomnography, EEG/ERP) and observational (both in-lab and in-home) data collection in her research.

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Key Publications


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    Funded Research Projects


    NIMH(PI):Sleep Disturbances and Circadian Misalignment as Potential Markers of Early Childhood Depression
    Brain and Behavior Research Foundation(PI):Circadian Rhythms in Early Childhood Depression
    NIMH(Significant Contributor):Early Life Adversity, Biological Embedding, and Risk for Developmental Precursors of Mental Disorders
    ICTS(PI):The Effects of Improved Sleep on Psychopathology and Brain Function in School-aged Children