Faculty Profiles

Colleges and Departments

Dr. Carmen E Westerberg

  • Professor - Psychology
Portrait of Dr. Carmen E Westerberg

Education

Doctorate Degree

PhD in Psychology

Univ of Minnesota-Twin Cities, 2003

Bachelor's Degree

BA in Psychology

Gustavus Adolphus College, 1997

Research Interests

  • Pan, Xi (Principal), Hwang, Sangchul Scott (Co-Principal), Westerberg, Carmen E (Supporting), Zhao, Qiang (Supporting). Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on Cognitive Function in Firefighters in Central Texas, Texas State University, $30000. (Funded: 2023 - 2024). Grant.
  • Westerberg, Carmen E. Matthew Pecot Award, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $16500. (Submitted: February 2021, Funded: May 2021 - April 2022). Grant.
  • Westerberg, Carmen E (Principal), Paller, Ken A (Co-Principal), Trujillo, Logan Thomas (Supporting). Does superior sleep physiology contribute to superior memory function? Implications for counteracting forgetting, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $300000. (Submitted: September 3, 2019, Funded: February 1, 2020 - January 31, 2023). Grant.
  • Westerberg, Carmen E. Improving Analogical Problem Solving Through Sleep, Research Enhancement Program, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: October 2017, Funded: January 2018 - August 2019). Grant.
  • Hegde Niezgoda, Asha Latha (Principal), Westerberg, Carmen E (Co-Principal), Martinez-Ramos, Gloria P. (Co-Principal), Ahn, Mira (Co-Principal). Effects of indoor lighting interventions on sleep, well-being, and safety in older adults living independently in public housing, Multidisciplinary Team Incentive, Texas State University, $2460. (Funded: July 2016 - Present). Grant.
View all grants
  • Westerberg, C. E., Fickle, S. E., Troupe, C. E., Madden-Rusnak, A., & Deason, R. G. (2025). An afternoon nap facilitates analogical transfer in creative problem solving. Journal of Sleep Research, 34(4), e14419. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14419
  • Westerberg, C. E., Price, M., Niziurski, J., & Howard, K. (2024). Prolonged changes in the perception of dreaming behaviors resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Dreaming, 34(2), 107–121. https://doi.org/10.1037/drm0000269
  • Wofford, N., Ceballos, N., Elkins, G., & Westerberg, C. E. (2022). A brief nap during an acute stressor improves negative affect. Journal of Sleep Research, 31(6), e13701. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13701
  • Batterink, L., Westerberg, C. E., & Paller, K. A. (2017). Vocabulary learning benefits from REM after slow-wave sleep. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 144, 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2017.07.001
  • Westerberg, C., Florczak, S. M., Weintraub, S., Mesulam, M.-M., Marshall, L., Zee, P. C., & Paller, K. A. (2015). Memory improvement via slow-oscillatory stimulation during sleep in older adults. Neurobiology of Aging, 36(9), 2577–2586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2015.05.014
View all scholarly/creative works
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Top Viewed Article, Journal of Sleep Research. 2026
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Research Leave Award, Texas State University. August 2024 - May 2025
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Service, Office of the President, Texas State University. 2024
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. March 2024
  • Award / Honor Recipient: Excellence in Research Funding and Sponsored Programs, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. August 2020
View all awards
  1. Member

    Cognitive Neuroscience Society Poster Committee

  2. Chair

    Alliance of Researchers in Aging

  3. Chair

    Promotion and Outreach Committee

  4. Reviewer / Referee

    National Science Foundation

  5. Attendee / Participant

    Texas Academic Leadership Academy (TALA)

  6. Reviewer / Referee

    National Science Foundation

  7. View all activities