Anita Roach, MS

Arlington, Virginia

Director, Sleep Population Health Research, National Sleep Foundation
Represented: Patients, Caregivers, and Patient Advocates

For the past seven years, Roach has worked to make a difference as a researcher, patient advocate, and caregiver. As the current Director of Sleep Population Health Research at the National Sleep Foundation, she identifies gaps in scientific knowledge to deliver high-quality, timely sleep health programs. While at the Lupus Foundation of America, Roach secured $500,000 from private funders to help support pediatric lupus biomarker research, an unmet need in the field. She also served as a Sub-Principal Investigator on a PCORI-funded Patient-Powered Research Network, where she leads efforts to establish a framework for patient-centered outcomes research among patient advocacy, clinician, and research stakeholders in childhood lupus and juvenile arthritis. 

A trained basic scientist, Roach graduated magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Medical Center Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Master’s Program. Personally, she also has many years of experience serving as a caregiver and supporting community caregivers. She resides in Virginia with her family.

Roach served as a member of the Advisory Panel on Patient Engagement from September 2018 to September 2021.