Research
Genetic, molecular, and neural underpinnings of sleep and sleep deprivation
Appointments
- Associate Professor; Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
Biography
Dr. Paul studies the genetic, molecular, and neural underpinnings of sleep. His primary interests are comprised of uncovering the mechanisms responsible for the negative effects of sleep deprivation in adults and children. He also probes the origins of gender/sex differences in the ability to recover from sleep loss to develop therapeutic targets for sleep disorders that disproportionately affect females.
His work has shown that sex differences in daily sleep amount are dependent on circulating reproductive hormones while sex differences in the ability to recover from sleep loss are relatively insensitive to them. Dr. Paul’s current research involves applying a forward genetics approach to uncover the core genes responsible for sleep-wake regulation and the impairing effects of sleep loss. Effective treatments for common sleep-wake disorders are elusive.
Dr. Paul conducts a forward genetics approach to facilitate gene identification that takes advantage of natural variation occurring in sleep-replete and sleep-deprived mice. This approach applies the most cutting edge genome mapping, positional cloning, and DNA sequencing techniques to identifying the genetic origins of unique sleep phenotypes in transgenic mouse models. These studies are expected to identify novel sleep regulatory genes and lead to the development of new therapeutic targets and improved treatments for sleep disorders.
Publications
- O'Connor, K, Paul, K. Residual DNA and cleaning protocols: a comparative analysis of forensic evidence examination methods. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2026; :. doi: 10.1007/s12024-026-01213-w. PubMed PMID:41790175 .
- Jehle, DVK, Sunesra, R, Williams, SM, Bilby, NJ, Paul, KK, Hill, K et al.. Effectiveness of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir in Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients Treated in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Propensity-Matched Cohort Analysis. Ther Adv Pulm Crit Care Med. 2026;21 :29768675251413432. doi: 10.1177/29768675251413432. PubMed PMID:41788322 PubMed Central PMC12957587.
- Brassington, RJ, Mara, JK, Ball, N, Waddington, G, Paul, K, Cooke, J et al.. Match demands and physical qualities of female athletes in Australian football, rugby union, rugby sevens, and rugby league: a scoping review. Biol Sport. 2026;43 :405-428. doi: 10.5114/biolsport.2026.153306. PubMed PMID:41783458 PubMed Central PMC12954495.
- Gong, Y, Paul, KC, Del Rosario, IPC, Zhang, K, Cockburn, MG, Thompson, LK et al.. Duration of agricultural pesticide exposure application and Parkinson's disease in California's central valley. Environ Res Health. 2026;4 (1):015011. doi: 10.1088/2752-5309/ae4645. PubMed PMID:41783124 PubMed Central PMC12955374.
- Brassington, RJ, Mara, JK, Ball, NB, Waddington, G, Paul, K, Cooke, J et al.. Does Playing Level and Position Influence Strength and Power Profiles in Female Rugby League Athletes?. J Strength Cond Res. 2026; :. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005404. PubMed PMID:41734359 .