Yeonsu Song, PhD, RN, FNP-C, FGSA
Associate Professor
About
Yeonsu Song, PhD, RN, FNP-C, FGSA is an Associate Professor at the UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing, with a join appointment as Adjunct Associate Professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and as a Research Scientist at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC). Dr. Song is a nurse scientist specializing in sleep, aging, and dementia care. Her research focuses on understanding and improving sleep health among persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their family caregivers, with an emphasis on culturally responsive interventions and real-time digital assessment methods.
Dr. Song’s program of research integrates behavioral sleep science, ecological momentary assessment, and innovative physiological measurement approaches to better understand sleep–cognition–function dynamics in aging populations. She has led federally and foundation-funded studies examining dyadic sleep interventions, digital cognitive testing, and culturally tailored behavioral therapy for insomnia programs for underserved communities, including older Korean Americans.
Her work aims to develop scalable, precision-based behavioral interventions that improve functional independence, reduce caregiver burden, and promote health equity in aging populations.
Education and Degree(s)
B.S. in Nursing, Hanyang University, School of Nursing, Seoul, South Korea
M.S. in Nursing, Hanyang University, School of Nursing, Seoul, South Korea
Ph.D. in Nursing, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Nursing, Department of Physiological Nursing, San Francisco, CA
Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner, San Francisco State University, School of Nursing, San Francisco, CA
Postdoctoral Fellowship in Advanced Geriatrics, Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, North Hills, CA
Publications
Song Y, Dowling GA, Wallhagen MI, Lee KA, Strawbridge WJ, Hubbard E: Rest-Activity Patterns in Institutionalized Korean Older Adults with Dementia: A Pilot Study. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 27: 1-8, 2009.
Song Y, Ancoli-Israel S, Lewis CE, Redline S, Harrison SL, Stone KL: The Association of Race/Ethnicity with Objectively Measured Sleep Characteristics in Older Men. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 10(1): 54-69, 2011.
Song Y, Blackwell T, Yaffe K, Ancoli-Israel S, Redline S, Stone KL: Relationships Between Sleep Stages and Changes in Cognitive Function in Older Men: The MrOS Sleep Study. Sleep, 38(3): 411-421, 2015.
Alessi CA, Martin JL, Fiorentino L, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Rodriguez JC, Song Y, Josephson K, Jouldjian S, Mitchell NM: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in Older Veterans Using Non-Clinician Sleep Coaches: Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 64(9): 1830-1838, 2016.
Song Y, Washington DL, Yano EM, McCurry SM, Fung CH, Dzierzewski JM, Rodriguez JC, Jouldjian S, Mitchell MN, Alessi CA, Martin JL: Caregiving-Related Sleep Problems and Their Relationship to Mental Health and Daytime Function in Female Veterans. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 3: 1-12, 2016.
Song Y, Harrison S, Martin JL, Alessi CA, Ancoli-Israel S, Stone KL, Fredman L: Changes in Caregiving Status and Intensity and Sleep Characteristics Among High and Low Stressed Older Women. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, pii: jc-17-00175, 2017.
Song Y, McCurry SM, Lee D, Josephson K, McGowan SK, Fung C, Irwin MR, Teng E, Alessi CA, Martin JL: Development of a Dyadic Sleep Intervention for Alzheimer’s Disease Patients and Their Caregivers. Disability and Rehabilitation, doi: 10.1080/09638288.2019.1680748, 2019.
Song Y, Gwendolyn C, McGowan SK, Fung CH, Jouldjian S, Mitchell MN, Josephson K, McCurry SM, Irwin MR, Teng E, Alessi CA, Martin JL: Sleep Disruptions due to Stress in Women Veterans: A Comparison Between Caregivers and Noncaregivers. Behavioral Sleep Medicine. doi: 10.1080/15402002.2020.1732981, 2020.
Song Y, Martin JL, Lee D, Kramer J, Ryan GW, Hays RD, Choi SE: Associations of Self-Reported Sleep Quality with Demographic and Other Characteristics in Older Korean Immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, doi: 10.1007/s10903-021-01174-y. 2021.
Song Y, Kelly M, Fung CH, Dzierzewski J, Grinberg A, Mitchell MN, Josephson K, Martin JL, Alessi C: Change in Dysfunctional Sleep-Related Beliefs is Associated with Changes in Sleep and Other Health Outcomes Among Older Veterans with Insomnia: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab030. 2021.
Song Y, Ryan GW, Lee D, Kim H, Martin JL, Kramer BJ, Hays RD, Choi SE: Experiences of Sleep Problems Among Older Korean Immigrants. Research in Gerontological Nursing, 15(4):193-202, 2022.
Liu Y, Song Y, Johnson FU, Lei L, Choi SE, Antonucci TC, Robinson-Lane SG: Characteristics and Predictors of Sleep among Spousal Care Dyads Living with Chronic Conditions. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbac096. 2022.
Song Y, Choi SE, Papazyan A, Macey PM, Alessi CA, Fung CH, Josephson KR, Martin JL: Veterans’ Experiences of Support in Managing Comorbid Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes. Nursing Research, doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000668. 2023.
Song Y, Papazyan A, Lee D, Mitchell MN, McCurry S, Irwin MR, Teng E, Alessi CA, Martin JL: The Feasibility of a Sleep Education Program for Informal Dementia Care Dyads: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, doi: 10.1111/jgs.18720. 2024.
Chodosh J, Cadogan M, Brody AA, Mitchell MN, Hernandez DE, Mangold M, Alessi CA, Song Y, Martin JL: Implementation Outcomes for the SLUMBER Sleep Improvement Program in Long-Term Care. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2024.02.004. 2024.
Song Y, Martin JL, McCurry SM, Kelly MR, Teng E, Alessi CA, Irwin MR, Cole S: Poor Sleep and Inflammatory Gene Expression Among Care Partners of Persons Living with Dementia: A Pilot Trial of a Behavioral Sleep Intervention. Sleep Advances, doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae052. 2024.
Matsuo Y, Kietzman K, Hays RD, Song Y: Evacuation and Transportation Barriers Among Vulnerable Populations in Natural Hazard-Related Disasters: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025, 22 (11): 1-29, doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22111680. 2025.