Maynooth-led sleep research will examine links with mental health
Researchers at Maynooth University are leading an international initiative to study the biological and genetic links between sleep patterns and mental health conditions. The project aims to improve future diagnosis and treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Understanding the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental illness could lead to significant breakthroughs in public health and psychiatric care.
Irish-led research is to examine why disruption to sleep is linked to conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Researchers at Maynooth University will investigate how sleep influences mental health , leading an important international research and doctoral training initiative.
The programme, DataGenChrono, co‑led by Maynooth University professors Andrew Coogan and Lorna Lopez, will bring together leading researchers from academia and industry across 12 partner organisations in Europe and Canada.
DataGenChrono will uncover the genetic and biological pathways that connect sleep and mental illness using advancements in human genomics, artificial intelligence and large‑scale health data.
The programme aims to lay the foundations for approaches to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of mental health conditions.
While it is already known that sleep becomes altered by mental health conditions, Coogan said “a key question for us to address” is how each mental health condition alters sleep.
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