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Amy G Hartman PhD, OTR/L

  • Assistant Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy

Mentor: Adriane Soehner, PhD

Training Years: 2022-2024

    Education & Training

  • BS, Human Occupation Studies, Xavier University, 2009
  • MS, Occupational Therapy, Xavier University, 2010
  • PhD, Rehabilitation Science, University of Pittsburgh, 2022
  • Post-doctoral fellowship, Translational Research Training in Sleep Medicine (T32), University of Pittsburgh, 2022-2024
Awards
Young Investigator Research Forum, American Association of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society, 2023
Trainee Merit Award, Sleep Research Society, 2022, 2023
Trainee Travel Award, International Society for Autism Research, 2023
Research Award, Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association, 2024
Representative Publications

  • 022.875766

  • Hartman A.G., McKendry S, Akcakaya M, Soehner A, Bodison SC, DeAlmeida D, Bendixen R. (2023) Characterizing rest-activity rhythms and sleep for children with and without tactile sensitivities: An observational study. Sleep Med.;106:8-16. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.03.024.

  • Hartman, A. G., Caspero, K., Bodison, S. C., Soehner, A., Akcakaya, M., DeAlmeida, D., & Bendixen, R. (2024). Pediatric occupational therapists’ perspectives on sleep: A qualitative descriptive study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78, 7803205010.

  • Northrup JB, Hartman AG, MacKenzie KT, Sivathasan S, Eldeeb S, Mazefsky CA. (2024) Emotion dysregulation in autism: Severity and correlates in early childhood. Autism Research. 17(12):2662-2675. doi: 10.1002/aur.3264. Epub 2024 Nov 8. PMID: 39517126.

  • *Kocanaogullari, D., Akcakaya, M., Bendixen, R., Soehner, A., & Hartman, A.G. (2025) What goes on when the lights go off? Using machine learning techniques to characterize a child’s settling down period. Frontiers in Network Physiology. Vol 5. Doi: 10.3389/fnetp.2025.1519407

Research Interests

Amy was a postdoctoral scholar in the Translational Research Training in Sleep and Circadian Science T32 program. She has 10 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapist and received her PhD in Health and Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh. Amy’s research centers on exploring sleep for children with sensory processing differences. She has a special interest in examining the underlying neurological components of sensory processing dysfunction that impact sleep health. Her long-term goal is to use her research to advocate for sleep intervention in special populations.

Research Grants

  • K23HD119249, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Probing the role of sensory regulation in sleep health and emotion dysregulation for autistic youth (2025-2030)

  • Career Development Award, Sleep Research Society: Settling down for sleep: Optimizing bedtime for improved sleep and emotion regulation for autistic children (2025-2026)

  • Fellowship in ADHD, Klingenstein Third Generation Fellowship: Settling down for sleep: The impact of sensory and arousal systems on sleep in ADHD (2024-2026)