2025 Speakers
See Who’s Coming to our Conference!
David Plante, MD, PhD
Keynote Speaker
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Medical Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness/Wisconsin Sleep, and Program Director of the clinical sleep medicine fellowship
David Plante, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He also serves as the Medical Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sleep and Consciousness/Wisconsin Sleep and as the Program Director for the Clinical Sleep Medicine Fellowship. Dr. Plante has held leadership roles including Chair of the ICSD-3 Text Revision Hypersomnolence Section Working Group. A clinician-scientist, his research focuses on central nervous system disorders of hypersomnolence and the intersection of sleep and neuropsychiatric conditions.
Margaret Blattner, MD PhD
Starting in October 2025, Dr. Margaret Blattner, MD, PhD will join the Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, MN as a Senior Associate Consultant in Sleep Medicine. Currently she is a neurologist and sleep medicine physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School. She earned her MD and PhD in neuroscience from the University of Illinois, completed neurology residency at Washington University in St. Louis, and pursued fellowships in sleep medicine and sleep/circadian physiology at Beth Israel Deaconess. Her clinical and research interests focus on women’s health and central disorders of hypersomnolence, including narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.
John C. Carter, MD
Dr. John C. Carter, MD, is a board-certified neurosomnologist and Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at The MetroHealth System, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He has served as a principal investigator in numerous clinical trials focused on treatments for narcolepsy, idiopathic hypersomnia, and sleep apnea. Dr. Carter is dedicated to advancing care and removing barriers for individuals living with sleep-wake disorders.
Martha Curtin, PA
Martha Curtin, PA, is a board-certified Physician Assistant with a focus in sleep medicine. She currently holds a position at Suburban Sleep in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Ms Curtin holds a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Southern Illinois University. She previously served as Lead APP at The Center for Sleep Medicine in Orland Park, Illinois, and as a PA hospitalist at Southern Illinois Healthcare in Herrin, Illinois.
Matthew Davis, MD
Dr. Matthew Davis is a board-certified neurologist and sleep specialist in private practice in NJ. He focuses on direct patient care, delivering a personalized approach and practical treatment options. His expertise in diagnosing and treating complex sleep disorders has made him a trusted and sought-after specialist in his community. Dr. Davis received his MD from the University at Buffalo and completed his neurology residency and fellowship in sleep disorders at the University of Maryland.
Keith Harper
Amy Kant
Amy joined Narcolepsy Network in February 2021 to help steer the organization into a new phase of growth, transition, and development. Amy has more than 25 years of nonprofit management experience that spans fundraising, marketing and management with a specific background working with rare disease patient community organizations. She has extensive experience in healthcare including work in senior care, disabilities, and research. In her role at Narcolepsy Network, Amy continues supporting and guiding the Board of Directors and staff, identifying opportunities for the organization to grow and best meet the needs of the narcolepsy and iIdiopathic Hypersomnia community, and cultivating lasting relationships with community and industry partners. Amy is dedicated to helping organizations build clarity and resiliency and brings a collaborative approach to her work.
Lois Krahn
Dr. Lois Krahn retired in July 2025 after 31 years at the Mayo Clinic. She is an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at Mayo Clinic and board certified in sleep medicine. The highlight of her career in sleep medicine was her focus on central disorders of hypersomnolence. She received multiple teaching awards and participated in clinical research. In her current role as Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry she will continue to collaborate on projects that benefit patients with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. She serves on several committees including the Medical Advisory Board of the Narcolepsy Network, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education and the Arizona State Medical Board.
Dr. Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D.,
Dr. Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D., is a Cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN where he treats conditions including but not limited to high blood pressure and sleep apnea with interests in neurocirculatory abnormalities in sleep and sleep apnea; chemoreflex responses in hypertension; and neurocirculatory control mechanisms in human and in health and disease. The research interests of Dr. Somers include neural and vascular mechanisms in circulatory control in health and disease.
Dr. Somers directs the Cardiovascular Facility and the Sleep Facility within Mayo Clinic's Center for Clinical and Translational Science. His team's research focuses on the role of the autonomic nervous system in cardiovascular regulation in humans, with an emphasis on normal and disordered sleep.
Oliver Sum-Ping, MD
Dr. Sum-Ping is a sleep neurologist and a Clinical Associate Professor in the Division of Sleep Medicine within Stanford’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. While he treats patients with all sleep disorders, he has particular clinical interest in disorders of hypersomnolence, serving as the Director of Stanford’s Hypersomnolence Clinic. In addition to his clinical practice, he has interest in research with a focus on novel technologic applications for diagnosis of sleep disorders. He also is highly involved in sleep education and serves as the Associate Program Director for Stanford’s Sleep Fellowship.
Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD
Dr. Phyllis C. Zee, MD, PhD, is the Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neurobiology at Northwestern University. She serves as Director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine (CCSM) and Chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. A leader in circadian medicine, Dr. Zee founded the first circadian medicine clinic in the U.S. and leads groundbreaking research to advance sleep and circadian health.
She has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications and mentored more than 50 pre- and post-doctoral trainees. Dr. Zee has held numerous leadership roles, including past president of the Sleep Research Society and World Sleep Society, and has received multiple honors, including the Sleep Research Society Distinguished Scientist Award and the National Sleep Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
Meet our Patient Panelists
Lauryn Bhavnani
Lauryn is a recent MLIS graduate so she’s a baby librarian! She loves to read, play video games, and anything else "nerdy". Lauryn has a Pokémon IH tattoo, to remind herself it’s ok to be sleepy!
Dayyan Lee
Dayyan is a current senior studying cognitive/behavioral neuroscience at Loyola Chicago and I was a Youth Ambassador for Narcolepsy Network in 2019-2020. In my free time I enjoy playing soccer, learning new languages, and engaging in new stories through reading, video games, tv/movies, and in real life!
Den Owen
Den enjoys playing with his dogs as well as graphic design and cooking and baking. He doesn’t let this define who he is as a person and fights everyday to live a normal life and manage his symptoms. He educates people on what it’s like to have narcolepsy so they can maybe provide some compassion to those who look healthy on the outside, but don’t feel the best inside.
Cate Valadez