The goal of this course is to engage in an in-depth study of sleep and circadian rhythms from the context of Behavioral Health. For this class, we define behavioral health as mental health, cognitive health, emotional health, social health, healthy responses to stress, trauma, risk, and addiction. An upper-level seminar, the course is strengthened by discussion and student-led exploration of the topic. Because of the extensive core knowledge base required to begin exploring sleep and circadian rhythms in depth, the class starts with lectures and readings to provide an overview of background material, including definitions/vocabulary, measurement, neural systems, regulatory processes, and typical experimental paradigms and measures. As the semester progresses, each student will pick a specific Behavioral Health topic for leading a seminar session/discussion and for a final paper.



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This course and the companion research apprenticeship provide students a fully textured research and academic experience in human sleep and chronobiology research. The course addresses the direct technical instruction for research procedures that enable students to participate in the apprenticeship projects. In support of the technical skills learning, students learn background in the physiological, theoretical, and conceptual bases of the methodologies and the research program. This information provides a framework for understanding the methods and the research projects' design and rationale. In-depth appreciation of a research topic is acquired through preparing a research presentation. Career modeling opportunities are offered through a seminar series with young scientists in the areas of sleep and circadian rhythms research. Students have further career modeling and learning opportunities attending the annual meeting of the Association of Professional Sleep Societies, which has a rich program for trainees. In summary, students who take part in this course and the research apprenticeship are given a thorough introduction to behavioral science research while at the same time learning about sleep and circadian rhythms physiology, acquiring lab skills, participating in ongoing research, and having the opportunity to consider a career in behavioral research through spending a summer participating in research at the sleep and chronobiology lab.

Students wishing to enroll in CPSY1194 must apply to the summer apprenticeship program; the application deadline is usually mid- or late February.

For more information and an application, click on the summer apprenticeship tab above.

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