Ph.D. Auburn University, Human Development & Family Science, 2023
M.F.T. Southern Connecticut State University, Marriage & Family Therapy, 2016
M.Div. Yale Divinity School, 2009
B.A. Auburn University, English (Technical & Professional Communication), 2005

• Health equity for sexual- and gender-minority (LGBTQ+) youth
• Sleep and development
• Physical activity and development • Adolescent mental health

HDFS 3060: Patterns of Family Interaction
HDFS 7030: Lifespan Development in Context
HDFS 7600: Marriage and Family Therapy Theory I
HDFS 7621: Marriage and Family Therapy Laboratory II
HDFS 7680: Systemic Assessment, Diagnosis, & Treatment of Psychopathology
HDFS 7920: Marriage and Family Therapy Internship
HDFS 7970: Sex Therapy

2023   Outstanding Doctoral Student Award, Auburn University
2020   Nominee, Harry Merriwether Fellowship, Auburn University

Good Nights Sleep Intervention: Pilot of a Randomized Clinical Trial to Improve Child and Family Sleep
Alabama Agriculture Experiment Station
Co-Investigator


Predicting Young Adult Health: Family Aggression and Bioregulatory Pathways
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Consultant

Gillis, B. T., Shimizu, M., Brigham, E. F., Hinnant, B., & El-Sheikh, M. (2025). What keeps night owls well during the week? Sleep onset consistency as a moderator between morningness–eveningness and adolescent development. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 23(1), 92–104. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2024.2412331

Real, A. G., Gillis, B. T., Gower, A. L., Eisenberg, M. E., Parchem, B., Lawrence, S. E., & Russell, S. T. (2025). Disparities in sleep among diverse adolescents in two large statewide samples: A need for intersectional interventions. Sleep Health, 11(1), 40-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.09.009

Gillis, B. T., McWood, L. M., Brigham, E. F., Hinnant, J. B., & El-Sheikh, M. (2023). Family income as a moderator of relations between sleep and physical health during adolescence. Sleep Health, 9(6), 868-875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.09.009

Gillis, B. T., Hinnant, J. B., Erath, S. A., El-Sheikh, M. (2023). Relationship between family income and trajectories of adjustment in adolescence: Sleep and physical activity as moderators. Journal of Adolescence, 95(3), 494–508. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12131

Novak, J. R. & Gillis, B. T. (2022). A primer on sleep for MFTs: Implications and practical considerations. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 48(2), 543–559. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12528