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= Kenneth P. Wright Jr. =

Life and Education

Kenneth P. Wright Jr. is currently a professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, Sleep and Chronobiology and is the director of the Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder . Wright’s current research focuses on addressing and understanding the relationship between sleep and circadian rhythms and how disruptions of these rhythms may impact behavior, health, and safety. Current project goals include investigating the impact of sleep and circadian disruptions on human physiological biomarkers, behavior, metabolism, and cognition, as well as how to apply these findings to wider health interventions.

Wright received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona in 1990. There, he began his career in sleep research working under Richard R. Bootzin. Wright completed both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience/Psychology at Bowling Green State University in 1994 and 1996, respectively, working under the direction of Pietro Badia. He then completed a postdoc at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, under the direction of Charles A. Czeisler before joining the faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder in 2002.

Professional Organizations

Kenneth P. Wright Jr. is also a member of the following organizations:

• Board of Directors of the Sleep Research Society (SRS)
• Governmental Affairs Committee of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR)
• NIH Sleep Disorders Research Advisory Board (SDRAB) of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) workgroup for the International Classification of Sleep Disorders Revision 3 (ICSD-3)

Scientific Achievements

Effects of light intensity on circadian entrainment

Because modern-day electrical lighting is less intense than natural light, Wright and his students have investigated whether human circadian rhythms entrain to the period of environmental oscillations differently to electrical light than natural light. In 2013, Wright first measured research participant's exposures to electric and natural light for one week as they went about their daily lives and then exposed them only to natural light for one week, which was four times as intense as the electric light . He found that after being exposed to natural light, the participants with late chronotypes exhibited large phase advances, causing the timing of their circadian clocks to be closer to those with early chronotypes. Wright and his students also showed in 2017 that the human circadian clock is sensitive to seasonal changes in the natural light-dark cycle and that a weekend natural light exposure advanced the circadian clock.

Implications for light exposure and sleep hygiene in children

Wright’s work on light-induced melatonin suppression response in children demonstrated that the circadian clock becomes less sensitive to light, particularly in the evenings, as adolescents mature, supporting the idea that decreasing evening light sensitivity is likely a product of age and not puberty. These data formulate a basis for recommendations regarding evening light exposure in young children and adolescents as it might relate to late sleep timing and sleep disturbances. Furthermore, his research on effects of zeitgebers on circadian timing in undergraduates necessitate sleep hygiene methods, such as limiting exposure to artificial light before bed and allowing natural light in the morning. These strategies can have profound effects on sleep duration, quality, and phase.

Effects of sleep deprivation on health

Sleep deprivation has been linked to many short-term and long-term health consequences. Wright has specifically investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on hormone levels. In 2015, he and his collaborator Charles A. Czeisler found that 40 hour acute sleep deprivation caused increases in blood cortisol and cytokines. In 2010, he exposed research participants to a 24.0 or 24.6 hour sleep-wake schedule, and found that those who were not able to entrain to the schedule (as measured by dim light melatonin onset or DLMO) showed reduced leptin levels and decreased sleep time.

In addition, Wright has investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on metabolic health. In 2013, Wright determined that insufficient sleep over five days caused research participants to increase their food intake and gain two pounds on average. Furthermore, Wright demonstrated in 2015 that a sleep schedule of 5 hours a night for five days resulted in a 20 percent reduction in insulin sensitivity. Most recently, Wright found that a "weekend recovery" sleep schedule – where participants were restricted to 5 hours a night over a five-day work week, allowed to sleep as much as they liked over a two-day weekend, and restricted for another two days – did not prevent weight gain or reduced insulin sensitivity, compared to a constant five-hour sleep schedule.

Implications of insufficient sleep for shift work

Wright's research demonstrated that during extended periods of wakefulness, alertness and performance decreases as sleepiness takes over. Research by Wright, his students, and collaborator Ed Melanson also showed that simulated shift work reduced energy expenditure and increased the risk of weight gain. Further, data show that staying up late at night and sleeping during the day rapidly altered proteins in the blood that influence blood sugar, energy metabolism, and immune function. These findings demonstrated the health risks associated with shift work, where shift work is associated with poor health and increases risk for disease such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and metabolic syndrome.

Drugs improving sleep and wakefulness

Wright has investigated the mechanistic effects of drugs approved to treat insomnia. Ramelteon, a melatonin MT-1/MT-2 agonist approved for insomnia treatment, was found by Wright in 2010 to reduce core body temperature and increase distal-proximal skin gradient (DPG). He has also shown that the combination of bright light and caffeine are better than either alone to promote wakefulness during sleep deprivation. Furthermore, research by Wright, his students, and his collaborator John S. O'Neill have demonstrated that caffeine affects circadian rhythms in humans. They found that when participants ingested the amount of caffeine in a double espresso three hours before bedtime, they exhibited phase delays of 40 minutes in their circadian rhythms.

Future Directions for Research

Wright’s scientific mission aims to explain consequences of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment, as well as using that knowledge to improve public health and safety. His work outlining deleterious health effects of shift work, where they found that individuals have lower energy expenditure compared to individuals on normal schedules, may increase risk for weight gain and obesity. Moreover, data have shown that peak of protein levels in the blood changes after an all nighter, similar to a shift work schedule. More work on the effects of shift work will be necessary before targeted strategies can be implemented to improve the health of shift workers, such as understanding what causes the imbalance in energy expenditure, as well as the impact of diet and exercise. In addition, these findings could modulate treatment strategies, recognizing that alterations in protein levels in the blood could determine the efficacy of certain treatments which would have to be adjusted for shift workers. Ultimately, the work of Wright and colleagues has the ability to reshape the conversation around the importance of sleep, making salient how sleep is critical in health and disease.

Awards and Honors

BFA Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarly and Creative Work (Boulder Faculty Assembly, 2018)

Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award for Tenured Faculty (Academic Affairs, 2013)

Marinus Smith Award, University of Colorado Parents Association (2007)

Distinguished Service Award, Sleep Research Society (2007)

J. Christian Gillin, M.D. Research Award, Sleep Research Society Foundation (2005)

Young Investigator, William C. Dement Sleep and Chronobiology Apprenticeship, Brown University (2003)

Young Investigator Award, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Honorable mention (2000)

Fellowship in Clinical and Community Health Research, The Medical Foundation and Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust (1999-2001)

Distinction in Teaching: Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University (1998-2000)

National Research Service Award (T32), National Institutes of Health (1997-2000)

Charles E. Shanklin Award for Research Excellence of the Bowling Green State University (1996)