iCLASS: MRI Sub-Study Expansion
May 2024
We are proud to announce that our MRI sub-study, iCLASS, has recently been awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Projects Grant! With this additional funding, iCLASS will now be able to complete three MRI scans at 18-month intervals with eligible participants, allowing us to further investigate how changes in sleep and circadian rhythm influence brain development, mood, and mental health symptoms across adolescence. This news also means iCLASS will continue recruiting participants throughout 2024. If you are a current CLASS participant and are interested in taking part in this optional component of the study, please complete the following expression of interest form or email [email protected] for more information.
Sleep Health Week 2023
September 2023
Next week is Sleep Health Week (25 September-1 October) and this year’s theme is Better Sleep; Better Health.
The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and the Monash University School of Psychological Sciences will host two Sleep Health Week events in partnership with the Sleep Health Foundation. Both will focus on equipping Australians with the knowledge and tools to improve their sleep health, and the benefits for overall health, productivity and relationships.
*Event 1: Turner Institute Czeisler Public Lecture: Sleep Health and Our World Today
Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine and Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Professor Charles Czeisler, will highlight the advances in our understanding of the human circadian system since melatonin’s role in sleep was discovered 40 years ago.
Register here to attend this in-person event on Monday 25 September from 6:00-7:00pm AEST at Monash University.
Event 2: CogSleep Presents: Harnessing the Power of Sleep for Healthy Brain Ageing. Broadcaster Jon Faine will moderate a panel discussion with CogSleep and other experts aimed at people living with dementia, their carers and anyone interested in healthy brain ageing.
Register here to attend this in-person event on Wednesday 27 September from 6:00-8:00pm AEST at Monash University.
The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and the Monash University School of Psychological Sciences will host two Sleep Health Week events in partnership with the Sleep Health Foundation. Both will focus on equipping Australians with the knowledge and tools to improve their sleep health, and the benefits for overall health, productivity and relationships.
*Event 1: Turner Institute Czeisler Public Lecture: Sleep Health and Our World Today
Baldino Professor of Sleep Medicine and Director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Professor Charles Czeisler, will highlight the advances in our understanding of the human circadian system since melatonin’s role in sleep was discovered 40 years ago.
Register here to attend this in-person event on Monday 25 September from 6:00-7:00pm AEST at Monash University.
Event 2: CogSleep Presents: Harnessing the Power of Sleep for Healthy Brain Ageing. Broadcaster Jon Faine will moderate a panel discussion with CogSleep and other experts aimed at people living with dementia, their carers and anyone interested in healthy brain ageing.
Register here to attend this in-person event on Wednesday 27 September from 6:00-8:00pm AEST at Monash University.
CLASS Study on Channel 9 News
May 2022
Watch the video below to see the CLASS Study's recent feature on Channel 9 News. The full article can be found here.
The key to helping teenagers regulate their moods and perform better in class may be down to their sleep.
— 9News Melbourne (@9NewsMelb) May 30, 2022
The world's largest study into their changing body clocks could also lead to a change in school start times. @penelopeliersch #9News pic.twitter.com/XY8w6ZcFno
iCLASS: An exciting sub-study!
May 2022
The iCLASS sub-study is an exciting opportunity for current CLASS participants. iCLASS aims to understand how changes to sleep cycles throughout adolescence can influence brain development and mental wellbeing. Participation involves undergoing a brain scan and completing some brief questionnaires. You’ll also get to take images of your brain home! If you’re interested in taking part, please email [email protected]. Watch the video below to learn more:
iCLASS recruitment video by Manvi Sethi
CLASS Study Expansion
February 2022
We are excited to announce that CLASS has been awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Ideas Grant which will allow for the expansion and extension of the study! This grant means we will be able to follow both new and existing participants for an additional 5-years (until the end of Year 12) and have stronger measures on depression and mental health outcomes. CLASS will therefore be recruiting new participants who are currently in Year 8 throughout 2022. If you are interested in participating in the CLASS study, please fill out our expression of interest form by clicking here!
Study Findings: Lockdown and Adolescent Sleep
July 2021
Findings from a subset of our longitudinal study show a silver lining of remote learning in Melbourne lockdown during 2020 - teens got more sleep, reported less anxiety and less daytime sleepiness. Without the commute, we found that teens used the time to catch some zzz's!
These findings are published in the Journal of Pineal Research, available here: https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12757
Publications
- Stone, J. E., Phillips, A. J.K., Chachos, E., et al. (2021). In- person vs home schooling during the COVID- 19 pandemic: differences in sleep, circadian timing, and mood in early adolescence. Journal of Pineal Research, 71:e12757. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpi.12757
- Stone, J. E., Wiley, J., Chachos, E., for the CLASS Study Team, et al. (2022). The CLASS Study (Circadian Light in Adolescence, Sleep and School): protocol for a prospective, longitudinal cohort to assess sleep, light, circadian timing and academic performance in adolescence. BMJ Open, 12:e055716. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055716
