Analytic and Modeling Unit
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Director: Elizabeth B. Klerman, MD, PhD
Our group develops and applies new mathematical analytic techniques to circadian rhythms, hormone, actigraphy and sleep data. For example, we have (1) developed new algorithms for more accurately detecting sleep or wake from actigraphy; (2) explored Markov based and survival analyses for describing transitions among sleep states; (3) developed methods for physiologically based hormone pulse detection.
We also have mathematical models of the effects of light on the circadian pacemaker and the influence of circadian rhythms and length of time awake on performance and alertness. We have a software program for predicting performance and alertness from sleep/wake and light patterns and a second program for calculating timing of countermeasures for when predicted performance and alertness are low. We also are working on new statistical methods to detect and predict individual differences in performance and alertness.
Our work has been funded by NSBRI (affiliated with NASA) for use by astronauts, flight surgeons and ground crews; NIH, AFOSR, and other agencies. The work is applicable to the millions of people who have jet lag, working, night-, rotating- or extended- shifts as well as for better understanding the physiology underlying the observed biology of circadian rhythms, hormones, sleep, performance and alertness.
Faculty
Current Trainees
Former Trainees
- John Abel, PhD
- Maamie Asamoah-Mensah (current MD student)
- Ameneh Asgari-Targhi, PhD
- Eduardo Bermudez, MD
- Dorothee Fischer, PhD
- Courtney Ford (current MD student)
- Dennis A. Dean, II, PhD
- Jonathan DeShields, MD
- Tushar Kamath (current MD-PhD student)
- Michael Lee, PhD
- Andrew W. McHill, PhD
- Andrew J. K. Phillips, PhD
- Shadab Rahman, PhD