Biomarkers & Risk Prevention

Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health, as well as our ability to function at our best. Yet not everyone is affected by sleep loss or sleep disorders in the same way. Some people may experience serious health consequences, while others are less impacted — and we want to understand why.

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

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:

Understand risks: We study why some individuals are more vulnerable to the detrimental effects of disordered sleep, such as heart disease, metabolic issues, impaired performance, increased accident risk, and cognitive and functional decline with ageing.
Detect risks earlier: We look for early biological signs that indicate a person is at increased risk of developing future adverse health and safety issues as a consequence of poor sleep.
Personalise prevention: We use knowledge of individual biological differences to develop predictive tools that support tailored clinical management and treatment strategies and solutions for individual, group, and operational needs.

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.

Resources

Youtube video: Associate Professor Andrew Vakulin speaks about the research and possible research opportunities for collaborations and PhD candidates.

Sleeptite Wesbite

GROUP MEMBERS

WORK WITH US

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.

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