April 20, 2026
Dear friends and colleagues,
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Robert Ogilvie, a valued colleague to many and a key figure in the founding of the Canadian Sleep Society. Dr. Ogilve was a Professor of Psychology at Brock University from the late 1960s until his retirement in 2001. He established the Brock Sleep Research Laboratory in 1971. This was a landmark time for sleep research in the province, with university-based sleep research centres established at Brock, Trent, Queen’s, Carleton, and Ottawa. His doctoral dissertation from Cambridge, Behavioral and Physiological Investigations of Sleep Onset, was supervised by prominent psychologist R. T. Wilkinson, known for his seminal studies on sleep and performance.
Dr. Ogilvie (“Bob”) played a key role at the beginning of the Canadian Sleep Society (CSS) when it formed in 1986. Together with his friends and colleagues Roger Broughton and Carlyle Smith, he signed the first bylaws of the society when it was incorporated in 1989. Bob served as the second President of the Canadian Sleep Society during this foundational period from 1988 to 1990. He was awarded an honorary CSS membership in 2017. Bob was also an early member of the U.S. sleep-research society, when APSS stood for the Association for the Psychophysiological Study of Sleep.
Bob’s research interests and expertise focused on understanding the sleep onset period, as described in his own words on the Brock website: https://brocku.ca/social-sciences/psychology/people/ogilvie/
Shortly before retirement, Bob prepared a state-of-the-field review titled The Process of Falling Asleep, published in Sleep Medicine Reviews in 2001 (1). Figure 3 illustrates the “Simultaneous theoretical plot of behavioural, EEG, ERP, physiological, and mental activity as sleep begins.” We encourage colleagues and trainees to review his thoughtful depiction of the multiple processes unfolding during the fascinating transition as consciousness wanes.
Another career highlight took place in 1993, when Bob and colleague John Harsh organized an APA book conference on Sleep Onset Mechanisms that was held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. An impressive group of international sleep researchers gathered from nine different countries (see conference program below). The group later published their chapters in the book, Sleep Onset: Normal and Abnormal Processes (2).
Bob mentored many students throughout his long career, several of whom were inspired to continue in the sleep field in academia, medicine, industry, and technology. Numerous other students who trained with Bob went on to pursue careers in allied health fields and beyond. His trainees share fond memories of late nights in the Brock Sleep Lab, social gatherings at Bob’s house, and road trips to sleep conferences in the U.S. He was a kind mentor who gave generously of his time and taught us all much about sleep science, academia, and life.
Please join us in remembering Dr. Robert Ogilvie and his many contributions to sleep science, to the Canadian Sleep Society, and to generations of students and colleagues. His scholarship, leadership, and curiosity helped shape the field in Canada and beyond. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, former students, and all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Please see the obituary prepared by his family, capturing how he touched so many people in so many ways: https://essentialscbs.com/robert-ogilvie-obituary/
Thank you to Kimberly Cote, PhD, Professor, Brock University and Director, Sleep Research Laboratory for preparing this in memoriam.
- Ogilvie RD. The process of falling asleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2001 Jun;5(3):247-270. https://doi.org/10.1053/smrv.2001.0145
- Ogilvie, R.D., & Harsh, J.R. (Eds). (1995). Sleep Onset: Normal and Abnormal Processes. Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association. APA PsycNet PsycBooks-TOC
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