Circadian and Sleep Medicine Affinity Group

Mission and Goals:

The Circadian and Sleep Medicine Affinity Group at UCLA Medical Center consists of faculty, clinical and research fellows, staff research associates, medical residents, and students who share an interest in sleep and circadian rhythms. It is becoming increasing clear that robust daily rhythms of sleep & wake are essential to good health. A wide range of studies have demonstrated that disruption of the circadian system leads to a cluster of symptoms, including metabolic deficits, cardiovascular problems, immune dysfunction, difficulty sleeping and cognitive deficits. Many people, including patients with psychiatric and neurological diseases, exhibit disturbances in their daily sleep-wake cycle as part of their daily life. These people have difficulty sleeping at night and staying awake during the day, which has a profound impact on the quality of life for those not sleeping but also for their family members. Broadly speaking, members of this affinity group are focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying the disruptions in sleep/wake cycle and importantly the development of new interventions designed to stabilize these rhythms.

Affinity Group Participants:

Avidan, Alon Y

Block, Gene D

Bower, Julienne

Caroll, Jude

Colwell, Christopher S

Donlea, Jeff

Fuligni, Andrew

Ghiani, Cristina 

Gomez-Pinilla, Fernando

Harper, Ron M

Irwin, Michael R

Jeste, Shafali

Kumar, Rajesh

Longcore, Travis

Macey, Paul

Matynia, Anna

Paul, Ketema

Poe, Gina

Sampath, Alapakkam

Siegel, Jerry

Slavish, George

Szymusiak, Ron

How to Join:

Christopher S. Colwell
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
77-352 Semel Institute
Mail Code: 175919
Phone: 310-206-3973; Fax: 310-206-5060
Email: ccolwell@mednet.ucla.edu