Sleep Research Programs
The Stanford Center for Sleep Medicine is comprised of different research labs focusing on all aspects of sleep. We regularly collaborate with research groups both at Stanford and world-wide. Below are our core research labs as well as regular Stanford collaborators.
Core Research Labs
de Lecea Laboratory: Neurobiology of Brain States
The de Lecea Lab focuses on exploring the role of neuromodulators in mammalian behavior, especially behaviors related to sleep, reward, stress, and learning/memory. In the late 1990s Dr. de Lecea was involved in the discovery of hypocretin and his lab continues to uncover new roles for this system in vivo.
Dement: Sleep and Dreams
Dr. Dement is considered the father of sleep medicine. He is a leading authority on sleep, sleep deprivation, and the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders. His undergraduate course, Sleep and Dreams has been one of the most popular classes at Stanford University for over 40 years.
Kushida: Center for Human Sleep Research
The Stanford Center for Human Sleep Research is dedicated solely to the exploration of sleep and its disorders in humans. The Center staff work closely with the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and the basic research group at Stanford to design clinical studies. The Center is capable of running short-term and long-term studies and accepts contracts with outside researchers.
Manber: Insomnia Research Program
Millions of Americans experience difficulties sleeping at night or wake up un-refreshed in the morning. Many continue to suffer because they are unaware that effective treatments exist.
If you want to be a volunteer in a study for insomnia and depression please contact Rocio Mendoza or call (650) 723-4417.
Dr. Manber is also director of the Stanford Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program, which helps people who suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders. Visit the Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program website to learn more.
Mignot: Center for Narcolepsy & KLS Research Center
Stanford has been instrumental in establishing the cause of narcolepsy, a disabling illness affecting more than 1 in 2,000 Americans. The disorder is characterized by abnormal dreaming sleep and is caused by an autoimmune attack destroying ~70,000 brain cells secreting the neuropeptide hypocretin (orexin). The Stanford Center for Narcolepsy coordinates the care of several hundred patients each year and is always looking for individuals with narcolepsy and controls to participate in research studies.
To learn more about becoming a research participant in a narcolepsy study, contact Mali Einen [einen].
In addition, the research lab also study Kleine Levin Syndrome (KLS), a curious episodic disease with hypersomnia and behavioral abnormalities.
To learn more about KLS or to participate in a KLS research study, contact Mali Einen [einen].
Mourrain: Genetics, Neurobiology, and Computational Analysis of Sleep and Associated Behaviors Laboratory
The Mourrain lab research focuses on the function of sleep on synaptic landscape and neural networks underpinning sleep/wake regulation. They use the diurnal zebrafish as a model. As a vertebrate zebrafish shares a similar nervous system with human. Zebrafish compact size, linear organization of brain regions, and optical clarity allow live imaging from synapse to whole brain system level.
Nishino: Sleep & Circadian Neurobiology Laboratory
The Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology Lab is an integrated, multidisciplinary research facility dedicated to understanding sleep-wake control and biological rhythms at all levels from the molecular to the behavioral and developing new generations of pharmaceuticals to remedy the enormous unmet needs of sleep disorders medicine and disorders of circadian timekeeping.
Pasca: Cellular Mechanisms of Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory
Our lab is interested in deciphering the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders. To achieve this, we employ a multidisciplinary approach involving human genetics, molecular and developmental neurobiology, rodent disease models and neural cells differentiated from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. We are also developing methods for generating specific classes of neurons from human stem cells and state-of-the-art tools for probing disease-relevant cellular endophenotypes. Our ultimate objective is to identify novel and reliable drug targets for neuropsychiatric disorders.
Winkelmann: Restless Legs Syndrome Research Laboratory
Our goal is to investigate the genetic architecture of neurological complex genetic diseases. We focus on restless legs syndrome (RLS) and want to understand how the functional organization of neuronal sensor motor circuits is altered in RLS patients leading to disease manifestation. We aim to identify genetic and environmental factors modifying disease susceptibility; understand the mode of action of current drugs as well as establishing personalized treatment options in the future.
Zeitzer: Circadian Research Laboratory
Dr. Zeitzer's research concerns examination circadian rhythms and sleep; notably, the neural mechanisms that underlie wakefulness and circadian photoreception. He is also involved in collaborative efforts in examining the role of sleep disruption in medical pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, and breast cancer.
Associated Researchers
Joachim Hallmayer in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science - Child Psychiatry
Craig Heller in the Department of Biology - School of Humanities and Sciences
Jon Erik Holty in the Center for Health Policy / Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research
John Hugenard in the Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences
Peter Koltai in the Departments of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and Pediatrics
Ruth O’Hara in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science - VA & Geriatric
Maurice Ohayon in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science - Sleep Center
Alexander Urban in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science - Psychopharmacology
Jerome Yesavage in the Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science - VA Research and Neurology & Neurological Sciences
Nanci Yuan in the Department of Pediatrics - Pulmonary Medicine