Shift work sleep disruption and knee osteoarthritis in mice
Official title: Does Shiftwork Sleep Disorder Exacerbate OA Outcomes
Funded at Oregon State University · NIH-11304852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A mouse study will test whether disrupted sleep from shift work worsens knee OA pain, disability, and tissue damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Corvallis, United States) |
| Project start | June 2, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $320,894 |
| NIH project number | 1R21AR085872-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11304852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to human patients directly; findings aim to inform future human studies and interventions for people at risk of OA, including shift workers.
✕Less likely to help
The study uses animal models and does not involve direct patient participation.
What this research studies
This project uses mice to model how sleep disruption from shift work might worsen osteoarthritis outcomes. Researchers will compare surgical knee OA mice on shift work sleep schedules to those with normal sleep, using noninvasive sensor methods to measure pain, activity, and tissue damage. The study aims to map how sleep quality affects OA progression in both male and female mice, with the goal of identifying potential points for intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform strategies to reduce OA progression in people who work irregular shifts by emphasizing sleep health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests sleep disruption can influence OA-like pathology in animals, but this project will provide new causal data using sleep-specific paradigms.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon State University
Corvallis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kloefkorn, Heidi — Oregon State University
- Study coordinator: Kloefkorn, Heidi
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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.