Genetic links between sleep apnea, insomnia, and other health conditions
Genetic Epidemiology of Sleep Apnea and Comorbidities in Biobanks
Researchers will use large medical databases, sleep test results, and genetic data to find patterns that explain different types of sleep apnea and insomnia for people with sleep problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176255 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project combines health system biobank data with research sleep testing (polysomnography) and advanced machine learning to define more precise sleep apnea and insomnia subtypes. The team will apply natural language processing to medical records to better identify cases and increase sample size, aiming for over 11 times the participants of prior genetic studies. They will search for genetic variants, build polygenic risk scores, and link genetic subtypes to clinical outcomes and physiological mechanisms. Findings are intended to reduce how mixed-up current sleep diagnoses are and help guide more personalized care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea or chronic insomnia, or individuals willing to share their health records and genetic samples or attend research sleep testing, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without sleep disorders or those who cannot or will not provide access to medical records or genetic samples are unlikely to see direct benefit from this genetics-focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could enable more accurate diagnosis, personalized risk scores, and better-targeted treatments for people with sleep apnea or insomnia.
How similar studies have performed: Previous genetic studies have identified some risk variants for sleep disorders but were much smaller, and this larger, machine-learning-driven approach is novel and designed to expand on those findings.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Brigham and Women's Hospital — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cade, Brian Edmand — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Cade, Brian Edmand
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.