The Bradley Hospital Sleep Research Laboratory at 300 Duncan Drive in East Providence has become a significant center for sleep research, despite its unassuming appearance as a former family home. Established in the 1920s, the lab gained prominence in the 1990s for its studies on sleep deprivation among U.S. teenagers, which played a crucial role in advocating for later high school start times. In 2021, it received a $10 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to create a research center focused on the links between sleep, circadian rhythms, and mental health in children and adolescents. It continues to investigate the impact of sleep on various health issues, including Alzheimer’s disease and opioid use disorder.
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Mary Carskadon, at 76, has been at the helm of these efforts as the director of chronobiology at Bradley Hospital and a professor at Brown University. Carskadon has received multiple accolades throughout her career, including awards named after the founding figures of sleep science. Her research has greatly influenced the field, particularly regarding adolescent sleep patterns.
Carskadon entered sleep science almost accidentally. Her journey began with Nathaniel Kleitman, a pivotal figure in establishing sleep research. Kleitman, who started the first dedicated sleep lab at the University of Chicago, significantly shaped the field by introducing key concepts, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, discovered by his student Eugene Aserinsky.
Understanding sleep physiology grew with contributions from William Dement, who established the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic while Carskadon joined his lab as an assistant in 1970, owing partly to a family connection. Although she initially hesitated about her career path, a pivotal study in 1973 led her to confirm the importance of sleep structure, solidifying her dedication to the field.
During her PhD at Stanford, Carskadon developed the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), an objective measure of daytime sleepiness. This test played a vital role in her subsequent research at the Stanford Summer Sleep Camp, where she examined the sleep needs of children and adolescents. Her findings challenged existing beliefs about teens' sleep requirements, suggesting they might need more sleep than previously thought, which could influence school schedules across the nation.
After joining Brown and establishing her own sleep laboratory, Carskadon published groundbreaking studies that proved adolescents required later sleep cycles. Her work influenced educational policies, leading to shifts in school start times across various regions.
In addition to her research contributions, Carskadon is recognized as an influential educator and mentor in the field of sleep science. Her teachings and mentorship have shaped the careers of numerous students, including Katherine Sharkey and Diana Grigsby-Toussaint, among others.
Today, Carskadon reflects on her achievements, noting that her career aligns with her goal to impact the understanding and treatment of sleep, fulfilling a promise to make a difference in public health.