Dr Alyson Zalta is a clinical psychologist, an assistant professor and lead investigator at the Trauma and Resilience Lab, University of California, Irvine. She researches novel intervention strategies to treat traumatic stress, focusing on vulnerable groups, including veterans and youth experiencing homelessness.

With a $1.5 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health, Dr Zalta experimented with morning bright light therapy to improve sleep and relieve post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. She is testing glassless goggles outfitted with LEDs at a specific light wavelength to match peak circadian photoreceptors in the eye. The studies are in their pilot stages but have so far shown promising results.

Since 2014 Dr Zalta has been cited over three thousand times and her research is published in leading scientific journals such as The British Journal of Psychiatry.

Her contribution to psychology as a young researcher and mentor is reflected in awards from the American Psychological Association and the University of California, Irvine.