Jack Edinger, PhD. passed away on May 25 at age 72. He was a former professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences from 2002 to 2011 and adjunct professor from 2012 until his death.
Dr. Edinger co-founded an insomnia outpatient program at Duke School of Medicine and was instrumental in establishing the Duke Sleep Lab in the 1980s. He also worked at the Durham VA Health Care System for 32 years, from 1980 to 2012, serving as the acting chief of the psychology service for the last 15 years of his VA tenure.
Dr. Edinger developed a behavioral sleep medicine program at the Durham VA that continues to thrive today. He set the stage for the nationally recognized excellence in clinical care offered by Durham VA psychologists.
Dr. Edinger was unwaveringly dedicated to training and mentorship, leading with humor, patience, and graciousness. In addition to imparting his clinical wisdom to trainees, he made sure they were well-versed in the Duke Basketball starting lineup and the status of his vegetable garden each spring.
After leaving Duke and the VA, Dr. Edinger worked as a psychologist at the National Jewish Health Center, a role in which he not only found great personal satisfaction in treating patients and continuing his research, but was instrumental in securing numerous and sizable government-funded grants.
Jack’s passing represents a tragic loss to the sleep medicine community; his contributions to the field of sleep medicine are immense and enduring. At the 2018 SLEEP Conference, he was recognized with the prestigious Nathaniel Kleitman Distinguished Service Award from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Learn more about Dr. Edinger in his obituary.
