New PhD student, Daniel Jamieson, is looking at how decreased sleep in adolescents changes the brain.

Daniel is undertaking his PhD candidature at the Sunshine Coast Mind and Neuroscience - Thompson Institute, USC. Daniel is conducting important research looking at the impact of sleep quality during adolescence on brain development and how this impacts mental health.

Working with data collected as part of the Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study (LABS), Daniel's research is focused on uncovering clues as to why the majority of mental health disorders first emerge during adolescence and how sleep deprivation may play a role in this. Does sleep deprivation negatively impacting white matter development which is known to continue throughout adolescence and is vital for insulating important connections throughout the brain.

This study will follow LABS participants from their first visit age 12 through to their middle high school years tracking sleep quality, white matter development, and mental health.

Stay tuned for important updates!

Daniel Jamieson is the recipient of an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.