Sleep and Development Laboratory Administrative Research Center (ARC), Room A45 3100 Marine Street Boulder, CO 80309-0554 phone: 303-492-4584 fax: 303-735-4125

Research Interests

• Sleep and circadian physiology in early human development.


• The health, behavioral, and developmental consequences of challenging the sleep and circadian systems.

Personnel

• Director: Monique K. LeBourgeois, Ph.D.


• Visiting Scholar: Thomas Rusterholz, Ph.D.


• Lab Manager: Lauren Pierpoint, M.S.


• Graduate Students: Lameese Akacem, Charles Simpkin.


• Professional Research Assistant: Jessica Calihan.


• Sleep Technician: Jonathan Lassonde.


• Undergraduate Students: Annie Bielinski, Sherin Cherian, Hannah Craven, Danielle Eves, Elsa Mullins, Rebecca Tribble.


• Collaborators: Peter Achermann, Ph.D., University of Zurich; Mary Carskadon, Ph.D., Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; John Harsh, Ph.D., The University of Southern Mississippi; Reto Huber, Ph.D., University Children’s Hospital (Zurich); Oskar Jenni, M.D., University Children’s Hospital (Zurich); Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, Ph.D., Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Alison Miller, Ph.D., University of Michigan; Ronald Seifer, Ph.D., Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Sarah Watamura, Ph.D., The University of Denver.

Current Research Projects

• Early developmental changes in sleep homeostasis and circadian rhythms.


• Effects of sleep restriction on young children’s emotion processing and cognition.


• Sleep and brain development.


• Asthma, sleep, and academic functioning in urban school children.

Persons interested in volunteering to participate in one of these studies should visit our Sleep and Development Laboratory Web site.

Opportunities for Undergaduates

• The requirements for undergraduate students who want a research experience in our Laboratory are:
• A strong desire to obtain research experiences prior to graduate school, medical school, or advanced study in a health-related field.
• Minimum commitment: One year.
• Minimum hours/week: 10 hours (includes journal club).
• Minimum experience: No prior experience required.
• Must be willing to work with a team.
• Must enjoying working with young children and families.
• Must be able to work various hours during the day, at night, and on weekends.


• UROP, BURST, independent study, honors thesis, and concurrent BA-MS opportunities are available.


• Interested students should complete this application and e-mail it to monique.lebourgeois@colorado.edu.

Recent Publications

• Hale L, Berger LM, LeBourgeois MK, Brooks-Gunn J. A longitudinal study of preschoolers' language-based bedtime routines, sleep duration, and well-being. Journal of Family Psychology 25: 423-33, 2011.


• Hale L, Berger LM, LeBourgeois MK, Brooks-Gunn J. Social and demographic predictors of preschoolers' bedtime routines. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 30: 394-402, 2009.


• Kurth S, Ringli M, Geiger A, LeBourgeois MK, Jenni O, Huber R. Mapping of cortical activity in the first two decades of life: A high-density sleep electroencephalogram study. Journal of Neuroscience 30: 13211-13219, 2010.


• Werner H, LeBourgeois MK, Geiger A, Jenni O. Assessment of chronotype in 4- to 11-year-old children: Reliability and validity of the Children’s ChronoType Questionnaire (CCTQ). Chronobiology International 26: 992-1014, 2009.

Funding

• 2005-2010, Mentored Research Scientist Development Award, "Sleep-Wake Regulation and Emotion in Early Childhood."


• 2005-2010, Minimitter/Respironics, "Reliability and Validity of the Minimitter Actiwatch in Preschool Children."


• 2009-2014, NIH, "Asthma and Academic Functioning in Urban Children (Koinis-Mitchell, PI; LeBourgeois, CO-I)."


• 2009-2011, NIH, "Disadvantaged Children: Predictors & Outcomes of Sleep Behaviors (Hale, PI; LeBourgeois, CO-I)."


• 2010, Sleep Resource Foundation, "Circadian Regulation of Sleep."


• 2010-2015, NIH, "Sleep and Emotion Regulation across Early Childhood."