Sleep for Science
Apprenticeship
Program of Research

Research projects in the lab focus on examining sleep patterns, circadian rhythms, and related processes and outcomes in children, adolescents, and adults. Sleep patterns in humans depend upon the complex interplay of distinct extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Research in our laboratory reflects a longstanding interest in the fundamental organization of sleeping and waking patterns in humans. Our group currently has a broad program of research, including (1) PBBS, Parent Brain, Behavior and Sleep study that examines the sleep of birthing parents and their 5- to 6-month-old infants using week-long actigraphy/report, parent mental health, brain function (fMRI), and parenting behavior/infant development; (2) Sleep & LEARN, a project examining impact of sleep restriction on learning and brain function in children (led by Dr. Saletin); (3) ARTS, a project looking at risk-factors differentiating sleep-dependent memory in children (led by Drs. Carskadon and Saletin); (4) CPS, a project to evaluate new wearable technology for assessing sleep and circadian phase and implementing lighting to alter circadian phase (led by Dr. Carskadon); (5) SCOUT, a project led by Dr. Carskadon in partnership with RIH (Drs. Rich, Park, and Ramsey) and the VA (Drs. McGeary and Benca-Bachman) and in collaboration with labs at the University of Pittsburgh, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Alabama, and Harvard University that focus on determining how sleep and circadian rhythms affect people who are receiving medical treatment for Opioid Use Disorder; (6) Oral Microbiome & Sleep, Dr. Marie-Rachelle Narcisse’s research exploring the interplay between oral microbiome, sleep, circadian rhythms, and depression among adolescents and young adults. The program’s major projects enable us to examine these issues with experimental paradigms involving manipulating sleep and with studies that evaluate sleep/wake and circadian processes at fundamental mechanistic levels.


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Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab

The E.P. Bradley Hospital Sleep and Chronobiology Research Lab was established in 1985 and remains part of E.P. Bradley Hospital, a Brown University Health Partner affiliated with the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The laboratory building, located on the campus of Butler Hospital at 300 Duncan Drive on Providence’s East Side, is a free-standing facility containing a 4-bedroom laboratory, offices, testing areas, storage space, and kitchen facilities and an annex with classroom and additional research space, including a biospecimen lab.

The laboratory director and director of the lab's COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is Mary A. Carskadon, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Other academic leaders in the laboratory include Associate Director and Associate Professor Jared Saletin, Ph.D., associate professor Dave Barker, Ph.D., assistant professor Darlynn Rojo-Wissar, Ph.D., and postdoctoral fellow, Gina Mason, Ph.D. Faculty affiliated with Bradley Hospital's COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health include Jennifer Freeman, Ph.D., Jennifer Wolff, Ph.D., John McGeary, Ph.D. and Christopher Houck, Ph.D., and Center-funded investigators include research project leaders Giulia Righi, Ph.D., Anastacia Kudinova, Ph.D., and Marie-Rachelle Narcisse, Ph.D., and pilot leaders Sarah Thomas, Ph.D. and Elizabeth Thompson, Ph.D.

Additional affiliated faculty of the COBRE Center include: Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, Ph.D. (COBRE Center graduate), Thomas F. Anders, M.D., Larry K. Brown, M.D., Daphne Koinis Mitchell, Ph.D., Sharon I. Rounds, M.D., Henry T. Sachs, M.D., Katherine M. Sharkey, M.D., Ph.D., Anthony Spirito, Ph.D., and Diane Lipscombe, Ph.D. We also routinely work with faculty from Brown University, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and/or other universities including: Rachel Herz, Ph.D., Boston College; Leila Tarokh, Ph.D., Bern University; and Chantelle Hart, Ph.D., Temple University. Core members of the research team at the lab include: data coordinator, Caroline Gredvig-Ardito; COBRE Center Research Administrative Coordinator, Cristal L. Medeiros, administrative assistant, Christine Hawkinson, and research assistants and laboratory techs, Sidney Kirchhof, Chloe Lambert, Shreya Varrier, Sinead Moyles, Claire Mayew-Sherman, Aashri Sadu, Grace Kupka, Kiara Medeiros, Cosette Coston, Katie Skordinski, Jayne Clark, Sophia Nicogossian, and Orli Juarez. (It’s worth noting that several of the research assistants and laboratory techs were first introduced to the Sleep Lab through the Summer Apprenticeship program!)


Recent and Relevant References

Carskadon, M.A., Chappell, K.R., Barker, D.H., Hart, A.C., Dwyer, K., Gredvig-Ardito, C., and McGeary, J.E. A pilot prospective study of sleep patterns and DNA methylation-characterized epigenetic aging in young adults. BMC Research Notes 12:583, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-019-4633-1 PMID: 31526398 Link here!

Tarokh, L., Short, M., Crowley, S.J., Fontanellaz-Castiglione, C., and Carskadon, M.A. Sleep and circadian rhythms in adolescence. Curr. Sleep Med. Reports, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-019- 00155-w Link here!

Meltzer, L.J., Saletin, J.M., Honaker, S.M., Owens, J.A., Seixas, A., Wong, P., Wolfson, A.R., Wahlstron, K.L., and Carskadon, M.A. COVID-19 instructional approaches (in-person, online, hybrid), school start times, and sleep in over 5000 US adolescents. Sleep 269(1):, 2021. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsab180. PMID: 34401922 Link here!

Klerman, E.B., Brager. A., Carskadon, M.A., Depner, C.M., Foster, R., Goel, N., Harrington, M., Holloway, P., Knauert, M.P., LeBourgeois, M.K., Lipton, J., Merrow, M., Montagnese, S., Ning, M., Ray, D., Scheer, F.A.J.L., Shea, S.A., Skene, D.J., Spies, C., Staels, B., St-Onge, M-P., Tiedt, S., Zee, P.C., and Burgess, H.J. Keeping an eye on circadian time in clinical research and medicine. Clin Translat Med 2022; Dec;12(12):e1131. doi: 10.1002/ctm2.1131.PMID: 36567263 Link here!

Reynolds, A., Spaeth, A., Hale, L., Williamson, A., LeBourgeois, M., Wong, S., Hartstein, L., Levenson, J., Kwon, M., Hart, C., Greer, A., Richardson, C., Gradisar, M., Clementi, M., Simon, S., Reuter-Yuill, L., Picchietti, D., Wild, S., Tarokh, L., Sexton-Radek, K., Puzino, K., Calhoun, S., Johnson, D., Lewin, D., and Carskadon, M. Pediatric sleep: Current knowledge, gaps, and opportunities for the future. Sleep. 2023 Mar 6:zsad060. doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsad060. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36881684 Link here!

Miller, M.B., Cofresi, R.U., McCarthy, D.M, and Carskadon, M.A. Sleep and circadian influences on blood alcohol concentration: A translational perspective. Sleep, in press. Link here!

Wong, P., Wolfson, A.R., Honaker, S.M., Owens, J.A., Wahlstrom, K.L., Saletin, J.M., Seixas, A., Meltzer, L.J., and Carskadon, M.A. Adolescent social jetlag, sleep opportunity, and mental health in the context of varied educational approaches: Findings from a large nationwide study during COVID-19. Sleep Health, in press. Link here!

Heller, H.C., Herzog, E., Brager, A., Poe, G., Guthrie, R., Allada, R., Scheer, F., Carskadon, M., de la Iglesia, H., Montero, A., Wright, K., Mourrain, P., Walker, M., Goel, N., Hogenesch, J., Van Gelder, R., Kriegsfeld, L., Mah, C., Colwell, C., Zeitzer, J., Grandner, M., Jackson, C., Prichard, R., Kay, S., and Paul, K. Reducing the negative effects of travel on health and performance of student-athletes through sleep and circadian strategies. J Biol Rhythms, in press. Link here!

McCullar, K. S., Barker, D. H., McGeary, J. E., Saletin, J. M., Gredvig-Ardito, C., Swift, R. M., & Carskadon, M. A. (2024). Altered sleep architecture following consecutive nights of presleep alcohol. Sleep, 47(4), zsae003. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsae003. PMID: 38205895 Link here!

Rojo-Wissar, D. M., Parade, S. H., Barker, D. H., Van Reen, E., Sharkey, K. M., Gredvig-Ardito, C., & Carskadon, M. A. (2024). Does sleep link child maltreatment to depressive symptoms among incoming first-year college students? In press, SLEEP Advances June 12, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleepadvances/zpae041 Link here!

Saletin, J. M., Wolfson, A. R., Wahlstrom, K. L., Honaker, S. M., Owens, J. A., Seixas, A. A., Wong, P., Carskadon, M. A., & Meltzer, L. J. (2024). Instructional approach, sleep, and perceived academic well-being in adolescents during COVID-19: Evidence from the NESTED study. In press, Sleep Health, 04/07/24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2024.04.006. Link here!

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Commitment full time 26 May 2025 through 19 August 2025
  • Summer 2025 Training: Night and weekend training hours occur. Training includes instruction in background information on sleep and circadian science and research methods, ethics of human research, laboratory skills training, behavioral testing, scientific communication skills, and research projects backgrounds.
  • Scientific Conference: SLEEP 2025, the 39th Annual Conference of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS): June 7-11 in Seattle, WA. Apprentices are expected to join the Sleep Research Society (cost = $10 as trainee members) as soon as possible after accepting admission to the apprenticeship program. Preparation for and attendance at the scientific meeting in Seattle, WA is part of the apprenticeship experience; registration and transportation for the conference are provided.
  • Research Projects in the Lab: Trainees will be engaged in laboratory research projects. They will work primarily on projects in the sleep lab. Projects described above provide assorted opportunities to engage in sleep and circadian rhythms research in human participants. The challenging nature of human sleep and biological rhythms research requires apprentices to devote the summer entirely to this academic research experience and not have other jobs or course work.
  • Academic Exercise: Each trainee completes library research on a sleep/circadian related topic of their choosing with mentorship from faculty and fellows. Apprentices provide an overview of this research with a poster and a brief oral presentation at the end-of-summer colloquium (August 17-19). Commitment to the program extends through this retreat/colloquium.
  • Retreat/Colloquium: Scientists early in their research careers attend the retreat/colloquium to describe their career paths and their scientific research. The retreat/colloquium also includes presentations by research project leaders supported by the COBRE Center and by summer apprentices.


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Application

Complete the application form and submit it by February 17, 2025. Have 2 letters of recommendation (preferably from professors) e-mailed directly to Dr. Carskadon and Cristal Medeiros (see addresses on the application form) by the same deadline. A member of the admissions committee will interview the short list of candidates via Zoom or in person.

2025 Summer Apprenticeship Application

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Eligibility

Undergraduate students with strong interest in behavioral sciences research and who demonstrate enthusiasm for, commitment to, and availability for the full program are encouraged to apply. We also encourage seniors or recent graduates to apply with potential for full-time Research Assistant positions in Sleep Lab or COBRE center projects after the summer.

Previous courses or lab work in sleep or circadian rhythms are helpful but not required. During the apprenticeship, fellows will be required to reside in or very near Providence. Members of underrepresented minorities and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Due to restrictions on funding sources, we are only able to accept US citizens, noncitizen nationals of the United States or those who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the US.

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What Research Apprentices Learn: Formal Training Program
  • Introduction to normal human sleep and circadian rhythms and research methods
  • Central nervous system and neurophysiological basis of electroencephalography (EEG) and EEG spectral analysis
  • Polysomnographic (PSG) recording techniques, including EEG, EMG, EOG, EKG, respiratory plethysmography, oxygen saturation electrode hookup
  • Operation of laboratory and ambulatory PSG monitoring equipment
  • Activity monitoring with wearables: operation and analysis
  • Performance testing and identification of sleep stages
  • Working with people from various communities, including healthy children with asthma and adults treated for opioid use disorder
  • Basic lab procedures, including working with human participants
  • CPR training
  • Ethical conduct of research
  • Experimental hypotheses, rationale, and methods for laboratory’s and COBRE center summer research projects
  • Presentation skills, including effective creation and performance of PowerPoint slide presentations and/or poster presentations for the retreat/colloquium
  • Attendance of the Sleep Lab’s retreat/colloquium
  • Skills in preparing for attending a scientific meeting
  • Successful applicants are also required to complete appropriate Human Subjects Protection/HIPAA training through the CITI program as well as the EP Bradley Hospital orientation training (including a background check, drug screen, and Net Learning)


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What Summer Research Fellows Do

Our lab is involved with several projects that research apprentices may work on throughout the summer. As noted above, the primary research projects in the summer of 2025 include: including (1) SCOUT, a project that focuses on how sleep and circadian rhythms affect people who are receiving medical treatment for Opioid Use Disorder. Several of these projects include assessments that necessitate apprentice involvement around the clock (i.e., day AND night); (2) ARTS, a project looking at sleep and circadian rhythms in children with a family history of Alzheimer’s Disease; (3) CPS, a project to evaluate new wearable technology.

Research apprentices carry out multiple facets of data collection (electrode application, working one-on-one with research participants for forms/tests administration), data reduction, data entry, and error checking.

During the in-lab research phases of the program, apprentices are assigned to teams and work 4 to 6 days each week—not always Monday through Friday, often Saturday and Sunday—in research protocols that often involve working unusual schedules. Applicants must be able and willing to work on various types of schedules for all or part of the program. [Sleep planning assistance (e.g., earplugs, eye masks, and light boxes) is provided to help you adapt to work schedules; sample schedules are available on request.] When possible, we attempt to assign apprentices to hours that correspond to their circadian phase preferences, as well as make an effort to keep schedules somewhat consistent.

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Benefits

  • $4,500 for the summer, housing not included (assistance in locating housing in Providence may be provided).
  • Paid registration, travel, and lodging for the annual scientific conference (Seattle, WA), SLEEP 2025. Each apprentice is responsible to pay SRS membership dues ($10).
  • Students admitted to the internship through this application process may be eligible to enroll in CLPS1194 through the Brown University Office of Summer and Continuing Education. Tuition and fees are NOT covered by the Sleep Lab. You will not receive a Brown transcript credit for the experience unless you opt to enroll in this course and pay the university fees.
  • Acknowledgements: This training program is supported in part by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)-funded E.P. Bradley Hospital COBRE Center for Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Child and Adolescent Mental Health and by donations to the Sleep Research Lab through the Bradley Hospital Foundation.


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Retreat Programs

The summer's end retreat includes assorted activities and events. Central to the retreat, however, is the program of presentations by summer interns. These presentations are unfailingly awesome and highlight the breadth of sleep research and the apprentices' interests. Another major component of the retreat comes from our visiting investigators, often young investigators with a mix of seasoned scientists for good measure. Donors who support the program are welcome to join us for this exciting event. Check out the 2024 Program!

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2021 Retreat Program
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2024 Retreat Program

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