Circadian Medicine

Robust daily rhythms of sleep & wake are essential to good health. A wide range of studies have demonstrated that disruption of the circadian system leads to a cluster of symptoms, including metabolic deficits, cardiovascular problems, immune dysfunction, difficulty sleeping and cognitive deficits. Many people, including patients with psychiatric and neurological diseases, exhibit disturbances in their daily sleep-wake cycle as part of their daily life. These people have significant insomnia with difficulty sleeping at night and staying awake during the day, which has a profound impact on the quality of life and their overall health for those not sleeping as well as their family members. This laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying the disruptions in sleep/wake cycle and the development of interventions to stabilize these rhythms and improve associated insomnia and overall health.