Julie Boergers, Ph.D., earned her doctorate in Child Clinical Psychology from the University of Denver. She completed an internship in Child Clinical/Pediatric Psychology at Children's National Medical Center, and a fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Brown Medical School before joining the faculty in 1998. Dr. Boergers is a pediatric psychologist who specializes in integrated behavioral health approaches for pediatric medical problems. She is the Co-Director of the Pediatric Sleep Program and the Director of Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Dr. Boergers participates in the training of interns, residents, and fellows in psychology, psychiatry, and pediatrics at Alpert Medical School. Her primary research interests focus on sleep, pediatric chronic illnesses (including asthma, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease), and adolescent health risk behaviors.
| Koinis-Mitchell D, Boergers J, Yeo AJ, Molera G, Kopel SJ, McQuaid EL, Chen K, Wolfson AR, Chavez L, Jandasek B, Canino G. "A Pilot Randomized Control Trial Demonstrating the Efficacy of the SIESTA Sleep Hygiene Intervention." Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 63, no. 8, 2024, pp. 1062-1077. |
| Yeo AJ, Cohenuram A, Dunsiger S, Boergers J, Kopel SJ, Koinis-Mitchell D. "The Sleep Environment, Napping, and Sleep Outcomes among Urban Children With and Without Asthma." Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 2023, pp. 1-11. |
| D’Angelo, Christina, Jelalian, Elissa, Dunsiger, Shira, Noga, Rebecca, Kopel, Sheryl J., Boergers, Julie, Mitchell, Katherine, Powers, Kate, Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne. "Physical Activity Among Urban Children with Asthma: Does Sleep Matter?." Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, vol. 29, no. 3, 2021, pp. 666-677. |
| Seegan PL, Martin SR, Boergers J, Kopel SJ, Bruzzese JM, Koinis-Mitchell D. "Internalizing symptoms and sleep outcomes in urban children with and without asthma." Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, vol. 16, no. 2, 2020, pp. 207-217. |
| Koinis-Mitchell D, Boergers J, Kopel SJ, McQuaid EL, Farrow ML, LeBourgeois M. "Racial and ethnic disparities in sleep outcomes among urban children with and without asthma." Sleep Health, vol. 5, no. 6, 2019, pp. 532-538. |
| Reynolds KC, Boergers J, Kopel SJ, Koinis-Mitchell D. "Multiple Comorbid Conditions, Sleep Quality and Duration, and Academic Performance in Urban Children With Asthma." Journal of Pediatric Psychology, vol. 43, no. 9, 2018, pp. 943-954. |
| Koinis-Mitchell D, Kopel SJ, Seifer R, LeBourgeois M, McQuaid EL, Esteban CA, Boergers J, Nassau J, Farrow M, Fritz GK, Klein RB. "Asthma-related lung function, sleep quality, and sleep duration in urban children." Sleep Health, vol. 3, no. 3, 2017, pp. 148-156. |
| Martin, Sarah R., Boergers, Julie, Kopel, Sheryl J., McQuaid, Elizabeth L., Seifer, Ronald, LeBourgeois, Monique, Klein, Robert B., Esteban, Cynthia A., Fritz, Gregory K., Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne. "Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Outcomes in a Sample of Urban Children With and Without Asthma." Journal of Pediatric Psychology, vol. 42, no. 8, 2017, pp. 825-836. |
| Millman, Richard P., Boergers, Julie, Owens, Judith. "Healthy School Start Times: Can We Do a Better Job in Reaching Our Goals?." SLEEP, vol. 39, no. 02, 2016, pp. 267-268. |
| Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne, Kopel, Sheryl J., Boergers, Julie, Ramos, Kara, LeBourgeois, Monique, McQuaid, Elizabeth L., Esteban, Cynthia A., Seifer, Ronald, Fritz, Gregory K., Klein, Robert B. "Asthma, Allergic Rhinitis, and Sleep Problems in Urban Children." Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2015. |
| Koinis-Mitchell D, Kopel SJ, Boergers J, McQuaid EL, Esteban CA, Seifer R, Fritz GK, Beltran AJ, Klein RB, LeBourgeois M. "Good Sleep Health in Urban Children With Asthma: A Risk and Resilience Approach." J. Pediatr. Psychol., vol. 40, no. 9, 2015, pp. 888-903. |
| Reed-Knight B, Lobato D, Hagin S, McQuaid EL, Seifer R, Kopel SJ, Boergers J, Nassau JH, Suorsa K, Bancroft B, Shapiro J, Leleiko NS. "Depressive symptoms in youth with inflammatory bowel disease compared with a community sample." Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, vol. 20, no. 4, 2014, pp. 614-21. |
| Boergers, Julie, Gable, Christopher J., Owens, Judith A. "Later School Start Time Is Associated with Improved Sleep and Daytime Functioning in Adolescents." Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, vol. 35, no. 1, 2014, pp. 11-17. |
| Reed-Knight B, Lobato D, Hagin S, McQuaid EL, Seifer R, Kopel SJ, Boergers J, Nassau JH, Suorsa K, Bancroft B, LeLeiko NS. "Stability of Emotional and Behavioral Functioning in Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease." Children's Health Care, vol. 43, no. 2, 2014, pp. 151-168. |
| LeLeiko, Neal S., Lobato, Debra, Hagin, Sarah, Hayes, Christopher, McQuaid, Elizabeth L., Seifer, Ronald, Kopel, Sheryl J., Boergers, Julie, Nassau, Jack, Suorsa, Kristina, Shapiro, Jason, Bancroft, Barbara. "6-Thioguanine Levels in Pediatric IBD Patients." Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, vol. 19, no. 12, 2013, pp. 2652-2658. |
| LeLeiko NS, Lobato D, Hagin S, McQuaid E, Seifer R, Kopel SJ, Boergers J, Nassau J, Suorsa K, Shapiro J, Bancroft B. "Rates and predictors of oral medication adherence in pediatric patients with IBD." Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, vol. 19, no. 4, 2013, pp. 832-9. |
| Clark MA, Rogers ML, Boergers J, Kahler CW, Ramsey S, Saadeh FM, Abrams DB, Buka SL, Niaura R, Colby SM. "A transdisciplinary approach to protocol development for tobacco control research: a case study." Translational behavioral medicine, vol. 2, no. 4, 2012, pp. 431-40. |
| Colby, S. M., Clark, M. A., Rogers, M. L., Ramsey, S., Graham, A. L., Boergers, J., Kahler, C. W., Papandonatos, G. D., Buka, S. L., Niaura, R. S., Abrams, D. B. "Development and Reliability of the Lifetime Interview on Smoking Trajectories." Nicotine & Tobacco Research, vol. 14, no. 3, 2012, pp. 290-8. |
| Daniel LC, Boergers J, Kopel SJ, Koinis-Mitchell D. "Missed sleep and asthma morbidity in urban children." Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, vol. 109, no. 1, 2012, pp. 41-6. |
| Welch JG, Mannix MM, Boergers J, Jelalian E, Barbosa F, Fujii-Rios H, Forman EN. "Parental interest in a bereavement support visit when a child dies from cancer." Omega, vol. 65, no. 4, 2012, pp. 335-46. |
| Kahler, C. W., Leventhal, A. M., Daughters, S. B., Clark, M. A., Colby, S. M., Ramsey, S. E., Boergers, J., Abrams, D. B., Niaura, R., Buka, S. L. "Relationships of personality and psychiatric disorders to multiple domains of smoking motives and dependence in middle-aged adults." Nicotine & Tobacco Research, vol. 12, no. 4, 2010, pp. 381-389. |
| Boergers J, Koinis-Mitchell D. "Sleep and culture in children with medical conditions." J. Pediatr. Psychol., vol. 35, no. 9, 2010, pp. 915-26. |
| Gilman, S. E., Rende, R., Boergers, J., Abrams, D. B., Buka, S. L., Clark, M. A., Colby, S. M., Hitsman, B., Kazura, A. N., Lipsitt, L. P., Lloyd-Richardson, E. E., Rogers, M. L., Stanton, C. A., Stroud, L. R., Niaura, R. S. "Parental Smoking and Adolescent Smoking Initiation: An Intergenerational Perspective on Tobacco Control." PEDIATRICS, vol. 123, no. 2, 2009, pp. e274-e281. |
| Kahler CW, Daughters SB, Leventhal AM, Rogers ML, Clark MA, Colby SM, Boergers J, Ramsey SE, Abrams DB, Niaura R, Buka SL. "Personality, psychiatric disorders, and smoking in middle-aged adults." Nicotine & Tobacco Research, vol. 11, no. 7, 2009, pp. 833-41. |
| Kahler CW, Strong DR, Papandonatos GD, Colby SM, Clark MA, Boergers J, Niaura R, Abrams DB, Buka SL. "Cigarette smoking and the lifetime alcohol involvement continuum." Drug and Alcohol Dependence, vol. 93, no. 1-2, 2008, pp. 111-120. |
| Boergers J, Hart C, Owens JA, Streisand R, Spirito A. "Child sleep disorders: associations with parental sleep duration and daytime sleepiness." Journal of Family Psychology, vol. 21, no. 1, 2007, pp. 88-94. |
| Esposito C, Spirito A, Boergers J, Donaldson D. "Affective, behavioral, and cognitive functioning in adolescents with multiple suicide attempts." Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 33, no. 4, 2003, pp. 389-99. |
| Spirito A, Valeri S, Boergers J, Donaldson D. "Predictors of continued suicidal behavior in adolescents following a suicide attempt." Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, vol. 32, no. 2, 2003, pp. 284-9. |
| Stanton C, Spirito A, Donaldson D, Boergers J. "Risk-taking behavior and adolescent suicide attempts." Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 33, no. 1, 2003, pp. 74-9. |
| Jelalian E, Boergers J, Alday CS, Frank R. "Survey of physician attitudes and practices related to pediatric obesity." Clinical Pediatrics, vol. 42, no. 3, 2003, pp. 235-45. |
| Pearce MJ, Boergers J, Prinstein MJ. "Adolescent obesity, overt and relational peer victimization, and romantic relationships." Obesity research, vol. 10, no. 5, 2002, pp. 386-93. |
| Spirito A, Boergers J, Donaldson D, Bishop D, Lewander W. "An intervention trial to improve adherence to community treatment by adolescents after a suicide attempt." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 41, no. 4, 2002, pp. 435-42. |
| Perez-Smith A, Spirito A, Boergers J. "Neighborhood predictors of hopelessness among adolescent suicide attempters: preliminary investigation." Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 32, no. 2, 2002, pp. 139-45. |
| Spirito A, Stanton C, Donaldson D, Boergers J. "Treatment-as-usual for adolescent suicide attempters: implications for the choice of comparison groups in psychotherapy research." Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, vol. 31, no. 1, 2002, pp. 41-7. |
| Prinstein MJ, Boergers J, Spirito A. "Adolescents' and their friends' health-risk behavior: factors that alter or add to peer influence." J. Pediatr. Psychol., vol. 26, no. 5, 2001, pp. 287-98. |
| Prinstein MJ, Boergers J, Vernberg EM. "Overt and relational aggression in adolescents: social-psychological adjustment of aggressors and victims." Journal of clinical child psychology, vol. 30, no. 4, 2001, pp. 479-91. |
| Guertin T, Lloyd-Richardson E, Spirito A, Donaldson D, Boergers J. "Self-mutilative behavior in adolescents who attempt suicide by overdose." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 40, no. 9, 2001, pp. 1062-9. |
| Prinstein MJ, Boergers J, Spirito A, Little TD, Grapentine WL. "Peer functioning, family dysfunction, and psychological symptoms in a risk factor model for adolescent inpatients' suicidal ideation severity." Journal of clinical child psychology, vol. 29, no. 3, 2000, pp. 392-405. |
| Mehlenbeck R, Spirito A, Owens J, Boergers J. "The clinical presentation of childhood partial arousal parasomnias." Sleep Medicine, vol. 1, no. 4, 2000, pp. 307-312. |
| Shirk SR, Boergers J, Eason A, Van Horn M. "Dysphoric interpersonal schemata and preadolescents' sensitization to negative events." Journal of clinical child psychology, vol. 27, no. 1, 1998, pp. 54-68. |
| Boergers J, Spirito A, Donaldson D. "Reasons for adolescent suicide attempts: associations with psychological functioning." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 37, no. 12, 1998, pp. 1287-93. |
Broadly, I am interested in the impact of children’s sleep on key areas of their development, including academic performance and family functioning. For example, one of our studies found that a modest delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, mood, and caffeine use for adolescents. A primary focus of my recent collaborative work has been to characterize the sleep quality and sleep hygiene of children with chronic illnesses such as asthma, including a focus on the impact of co-morbidities (e.g. sleep disordered breathing, allergic rhinitis, obesity) on sleep and disease outcomes. Another central theme has been an examination of cultural factors and disparities in pediatric sleep. This research has included culturally sensitive approaches and research with ethnic minority, urban children and adolescents. Other longstanding research interests include emotional functioning and adherence to medical treatment in youth with chronic illnesses (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, cancer); health risk behaviors (e.g. smoking, self-injurious behavior) in adolescents; and brief interventions for a variety of health behaviors. I value cross-disciplinary, cross-institutional, and cross-cultural collaborations.
Impact of Sleep Duration on Immune Balance in Urban Children with Asthma (R01HL156277). NHLBI, 8/15/21-07/31/26. Co-Investigator (D. Koinis-Mitchell & G. Marshall, PIs).
Disparities in Sleep, Asthma, and the Sleep Context in Urban Children (R01HL142058). NHLBI, 5/24/2019–4/01/2024. Co-Investigator (D. Koinis-Mitchell & M. Carskadon, PIs).
A Sleep Hygiene Intervention to Improve Sleep Quality in Urban, Latino Middle School Children. NHLBI, 9/1/17-6/30/20. Co-Investigator (D. Koinis Mitchell & G. Canino, PIs).
A Pilot Study to Improve Sleep Quality in Urban High School Students with Asthma (R21HD086648). NICHD, 9/1/16 - 8/31/19. Co-Investigator (J. Bruzzese & D. Koinis Mitchell, PIs).
Childhood Asthma Research Innovation Program. Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute, 2/1/2016 -1/31/2022. Co-investigator (E. McQuaid/D. Koinis Mitchell/G. Fritz, PIs).
Asthma and School Functioning in Urban Children (NICHD, 10/1/2009-9/30/2014). Co-investigator (D. Koinis Mitchell, PI).
Development of the Pediatric IBD Behavioral Health Registry (NICHD, 9/1/09-8/31/11). Co-investigator (D. Lobato & N. LeLeiko, co-PI's).
Nicotine Dependence: Phenotype, Endophenotype and Contexts (Measures and Methodology Core; NCI, 10/01/04-9/30/09). Co-Investigator (R. Niaura, PI).
Family Based Treatment of Early Childhood OCD (NIMH, 7/1/07-6/30/12). Independent Evaluator (J. Freeman, PI).
Sleep Problems, Mood, and Postpartum Smoking Relapse (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 9/1/04-8/31/07). Principal Investigator.
Nicotine Dependence: Risk and Recovery over Generations (Measures and Methodology Core; NCI, 10/01/00-9/30/04). Co-investigator (D. Abrams, PI).
Immunizing Against Tobacco Use in Pediatric Health Care (NIDA, 9/30/98-8/31/04). Project Director (R. Niaura, PI).
Biopsychosocial Model of Sleep Medicine (NHLBI, 9/1/01 8/31/03). Co-investigator (J. Owens, PI).
Daskalova, N., Metaxa-Kakavouli, D., Tran, A., Nugent, N.R., Boergers, J., McGeary, J., Huang, J. (2016). SleepCoacher: A Personalized Automated Self-Experimentation System for Sleep Recommendations. ACM User Interface Software and Technology Symposium (UIST 2016).
Donaldson, D., Spirito, A. & Boergers, J. (2010). Treatment engagement with adolescent suicide attempters. In D. Castro-Blanco & M.S. Karver (Eds.), Elusive alliance: Treatment engagement strategies with high-risk adolescents (pp. 207-225). Washington, D.C.: APA Books.
Boergers, J., & Spirito, A. (2003). Follow-up studies of child and adolescent suicide attempters. In R.A. King and A. Apter (Eds.), Suicide in Children and Adolescents (pp. 271-293). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Jelalian, E., Boergers, J., Spirito, A., & Sourkes, B. (2003). Psychologic aspects of leukemia and hematologic disorders. In D.G. Nathan, S.H. Orkin, D. Ginsburg, & A.T. Look (Eds.), Nathan and Oski’s hematology of infancy and childhood, 6th edition (pp. 1671-1683). Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders.
Boergers, J., & Spirito, A. (2003). The outcome of suicide attempts among adolescents. In A. Spirito and J.C. Overholser (Eds.), Evaluating and treating adolescent suicide attempters: From research to practice (pp. 261-276). San Diego: Academic Press.
Coyne, J.C., Downey, G., & Boergers, J. (1992). Depression in families: A systems perspective. In D. Cicchetti and S.L. Toth (Eds.), Rochester symposium on developmental psychopathology, Volume 4. Developmental perspectives on depression (pp. 211-249). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | PhD | University of Denver |
| 1993 | MA | University of Denver |
| 1989 | BA | University of Rochester |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | Brown Medical School, Rhode Island Hospital & Hasbro Children's Hospital, pediatric psychology | 1996-1998 | Providence, RI |
| Internship | Children's National Medical Center, George Washington School of Medicine, clinical child psychology | 1994-1995 |
Teaching Recognition Award, Brown Medical School, 2005
Dean's Teaching Excellence Award, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 2015
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| D'Angelo, Christina | Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Clinician Educator |
| Koinis-Mitchell, Daphne | Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Pediatrics (Research) |
| McQuaid, Elizabeth | Professor of Pediatrics, Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior |
Co-Director, Pediatric Sleep Program, Hasbro Children's Hospital, 1998-present
Director, Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Hasbro Children's Hospital, 1998-present
| Psychologist | State of Rhode Island | 1997-Present | #618 |
| Staff Psychologist. 1998-Present |
