Our research

Sleep and cognition

• Sleep and the cognitive decline associated with sleep loss differ between individuals
•  We discovered that
  • A primate-specific polymorphism in the circadian clock gene PERIOD3 predicts
    •  Sleep characteristics
    • Cognitive decline due to sleep loss
  • This provides a unique opportunity to
    • better understand the mechanisms
    • underlying individual differences
    • by which this clock gene influences sleep and cognition
  • Identify novel biomarkers
  • Develop novel countermeasures for cognitive decline associated with sleep loss and circadian misalignment

Approach

Data collection: Human

• Genotype ~ 1,500 people for the PER3 polymorphism
• Stratify study population (n=72) according to PER3 genotype
• Perturb sleep and circadian rhythmicity
  • Forced desynchrony protocol
  • Sleep restriction/extension followed by ‘extended nightshift’
• Assess cognition and sleep physiology
• Obtain samples for the analysis of
  • Endocrine markers of circadian rhythmicity
  • Cell culture studies of circadian rhythms in vitro
  • PERIOD3 protein rhythms
  • Genome wide gene expression profiling by microarray

Data analysis

• Merge data:
• Sleep physiology
  • Circadian physiology
  • Cognition
  • Gene expression profiling
• Bioinformatics and modelling approaches
• Identify metabolic and signalling pathways related to
  • PER3 genotype related differences
  • Other individual differences