Thanks to rapid advances in science and technology, we can now measure a wide range of aspects of human biology, physiology, and behaviour. From molecules and genes to physiological traits and body rhythms, these data help us identify biomarkers — measurable indicators that provide insights into what’s happening inside the body. Biomarkers can reveal early signs of disease, track how a disease is progressing, show how well a treatment is working, and help us understand disease mechanisms. Ultimately, this helps us identify strategies to reduce disease risk and target the most effective personalised therapies.
Our research focuses on identifying biomarkers that help us understand how sleep loss and sleep disorders affect people differently, and how we can predict and prevent their negative effects on health, safety, and performance. We take an interdisciplinary approach, combining data from sleep studies, wearable devices, clinical assessments, laboratory and field testing, and apply cutting-edge data science approaches to support biomarker development and translation through novel technologies. We aim to:
Through this multidisciplinary research program, we aim to empower individuals, healthcare providers, and communities with evidence-based tools to identify those at highest risk and promote healthier, safer, and more productive lives through better sleep.
Research focuses on development and validation of biomarkers to identify people’s vulnerability to sleep loss and sleep disorders. The goal of this research is to deploy biomarker screening tools to help clinicians identify people at higher risk of alertness failure and performance impairment for fitness to drive and operational environments to ultimately reduce sleepiness related accidents. This research increasingly utilises novel wearable and nearable technology to help profile people’s sleep in the home environment and how they respond to insufficient sleep or sleep disorders from a cognitive function and operational performance perspective.
Professor Danny Eckert, Director FHMRI Sleep Health, Matthew Flinders Professor
Dr Bastien Lechat,
Research Fellow
Mandy O’Grady,
Research Assistant
Kelsey Bickley,
Research Assistant
Jesse Parker,
PhD Candidate
Claire Dunbar,
PhD Candidate
We have long-term international and Australian sleep health partnerships across universities, South Australian Local Health Network and with industry groups. Please contact us to discuss opportunities.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
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CRICOS Provider: 00114A TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12097 TEQSA category: Australian University
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