Research and clinical trials

Research over the past 20 years has resulted in an explosive growth in our understanding of the consequences of poor sleep, which includes the increased risk of mental and physical illness, car and industrial accidents as well as productivity loss at work.

With sleep disorders costing the Australian community $66.3 billion a year, sleep science research has far-ranging implications for improving individual health and wellbeing and for optimising shift scheduling, safety and productivity.

Western Australia has been a leader in Australian sleep medicine for many years and UWA's Centre for Sleep Science provides another unique opportunity for WA to be at the forefront of sleep research and sleep education through the Centre's thorough and ground-breaking research.

Headed by Associate Professor Jennifer Walsh, the Centre has undergone a $1 million upgrade and comes equipped with state-of-the-art sleep recording and analysis equipment.

Associate Professor Walsh's research team focuses on the challenges to breathing during wakefulness, sleep and general anaesthesia. Other sleep-related research by the team is in areas including schizophrenia and sleep disorders; the sleep and its impact on performance; stroke dysphagia and sleep apnoea; and insomnia.

A clinical partnership with the West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital supports research and academic courses and PhD programs.