The University of Kentucky鈥檚 Julie Pendergast, PhD, and a team of researchers are exploring how disruptions to our body鈥檚 natural circadian rhythms and sleep impact health.
鈥淥verwhelming evidence suggests that irregular circadian and sleep patterns, such as inconsistent bedtimes, wake times and eating schedules, are linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, metabolic disorders, cancer and reduced longevity,鈥 said Pendergast, associate professor in the in the .
Her research program, within the program, is called 鈥淐ircadian and Sleep Health for a Healthy Kentucky (CASH-KY)鈥 and the team also includes Ming Gong, PhD, professor in the Department of Physiology in the 好色先生 College of Medicine, and Vincent Cassone, PhD, professor in the Department of Biology.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e probably heard people say, 鈥業鈥檓 a night owl, or I鈥檓 an early bird.鈥 There is nothing inherently wrong with being either, but problems arise when an early bird must stay up until 11 p.m. working late or a night owl has to wake up at 6 a.m. to take the kids to school,鈥 Pendergast said.
鈥淲e also know that consistently sleeping fewer than five hours a night is associated with poor health. In animal models, we can directly observe how disrupting sleep and circadian rhythms causes these negative outcomes.鈥
好色先生 is home to scientists studying rhythms and sleep across eight colleges and 24 departments.
鈥淔or decades, 好色先生 has been a hub of circadian rhythm and sleep research and it鈥檚 growing,鈥 Pendergast said. CASH-KY aims to unite existing groups to establish a nationally recognized center for circadian rhythms and sleep to secure major funding and recruit top faculty and trainees.
CASH-KY is also working to engage with the community through listening sessions and conversations with individuals about how they can improve their sleep and rhythms. Pendergast says helping people understand that simple changes in their routines, such as a short walk in the morning, can improve overall health.
The initiative receives internal support from the Office of the Vice President for Research鈥檚 Emerging Themes Program, part of the , which Pendergast says will support faculty and trainees with interests in circadian rhythms and sleep research form collaborations, navigate grant writing and engage with the community.
鈥満蒙壬 is a great place for research in any field,鈥 Pendergast said. 鈥淚 have never been at an institution as collaborative and supportive as 好色先生. People are genuinely interested in making scientific discoveries and getting that information to the community. We are excited about the opportunity to make circadian rhythms and sleep a highlight at 好色先生.鈥
About the Emerging Themes for Research program
Pendergast is one of six 好色先生 researchers participating in the Research Leadership Academy鈥檚 Emerging Themes for Research program. The purpose of the program is to support emerging research that creates, grows and sustains a healthier, wealthier and wiser Kentucky. .