Applied Sleep & Neuroscience Laboratory

23/10/2025

Are you a man aged over 50? We want to hear from you!!

We are currently recruiting men aged 50+ to provide their opinions on sleep health and sleep treatments and therapies that are available.

No prior experience with sleep problems or therapies is required.
Go to the survey below to provide your thoughts, and go into the draw to win one of eight $100 gift cards.

Sleep is important for brain health, memory, and cognition, and is linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

09/10/2025

Are you over 50? We want to hear from you!!

We are currently recruiting participants aged 50+ to provide their opinions on sleep health and sleep treatments and therapies that are available.
No prior experience with sleep problems or therapies is required.

Go to the survey below to provide your thoughts, and go into the draw to win one of eight $100 gift cards.

Sleep is important for brain health, memory, and cognition, and is linked to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

03/08/2025

NEW PUBLICATION ALERT!

It is widely accepted that older adults are "resilient" to the effects of sleep loss, suggesting they can handle sleep loss, shift work, etc. better than younger adults.

Our team has recently published a new paper in SLEEP showing that while younger adults are more likely to fall asleep following sleep loss, older adults show impaired attentional deficits equal to that of younger adults - AKA just because they don't fall asleep, doesn't mean they aren't impaired!

We also show that individual differences in younger adults drive this difference - that is SOME (but not all) younger adults are much more likely to fall asleep, showing vulnerability to sleep loss and falling asleep that isn't seen as we get older.

This work is important for understanding who might be vulnerable to sleep loss, and also what tasks and activities might be impaired. Attentional impairment across the lifespan has important ramifications for shift workers and drowsy driving.

Read the full paper here:
https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsaf144

29/07/2025

You're invited to join our research participant database! 🧠📝

✅ Have the opportunity to be notified when we begin recruitment for upcoming projects
✅ Anyone aged 18+ and living in Australia can join
✅Your confidentiality is important to us - only our research team will have access to the database
✅ Fill out a short form with your contact details to sign up

Click the link or scan the QR code below to join!🌟

What does this involve? Our laboratory aims to understand the role of sleep in cognition across the lifespan. Our research programs are ongoing, and we are always looking for participants to take part in various research projects. We invite people who are interested in participating in our research....

27/06/2025

In 2022 our work with Dementia Australia was featured on Channel 9 News! Watch below to see our research in action :)

Later this year we will be running a similar project - using precisely timed sounds using a device at home to improve the quality of deep sleep. We want to better understand how this may help clear the brain of Alzheimer's related toxins.

Keep an eye on our page for further updates on how you may be able to take part!

Melbourne researchers look to prevent Alzheimer's disease by manipulating sleep patternsBy 9News Staff5:03pm Jun 28, 2022 X Facebook Mail Melbourne researchers are examining whether "deep sleep" can delay Alzheimer's disease.With support of Dementia Australia, the scientists are monitoring seniors'....

27/06/2025

Welcome to the Applied Sleep And Neuroscience Laboratory page!

Sleep is crucial to our health and wellbeing.
Inadequate sleep impacts our alertness and attention levels, our ability to think and remember, and our brain health.

Our mission is to investigate how sleep quality, sleep loss, and sleep interventions impact brain functioning, performance and health across the lifespan.
Our two major research programs centre on resilient and optimal ageing, and occupational health and safety with a focus on drowsy driving.

Follow us to see publications of our work, opportunities to participate in our upcoming research projects, and other exciting updates from the lab.
Thanks for following along!