# Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Adolescence: Epigenetic Pathways of Cardiometabolic Risk

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2020 · $137,857

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Candidate: The PI is a Research Assistant Professor and nutritional epidemiologist whose primary career goal
is to apply epigenetic approaches to improve the understanding of the interplay of sleep/circadian rhythms and
nutrition on long-term cardiometabolic health risk. The proposed award includes a 5-year plan of training and
research centered on circadian rhythms, epigenetics, study design, and skills required to lead a research team.
Research context: Insufficient and mistimed sleep is recognized as a risk for adverse cardiometabolic
outcomes. Adolescents are especially vulnerable as they have high prevalence of both short sleep duration
and misaligned sleep timing. Yet, the unique contributions of sleep duration and circadian misalignment to
cardiometabolic risk is unclear. Uncovering the epigenetic mechanisms behind these relationships is a highly
promising avenue for this public health issue. Recent cross-sectional evidence shows that epigenetic
alterations of metabolic and circadian genes might play an intermediary role in the relationships between
sleep/circadian rhythms and cardiometabolic health, yet longitudinal investigations are scarce. The application
of epigenetic approaches to identify potential mechanisms that link sleep to cardiometabolic health is novel.
Research Objectives: The aims are two-fold: 1) to evaluate the independent associations of sleep duration
and timing with cardiometabolic health among adolescents and 2) to examine epigenetic associations between
insufficient/mistimed sleep and cardiometabolic health.
Research Plan: The PI will analyze existing data from an NIH-funded established cohort study of adolescents
in Mexico City with highly variable sleep patterns (some participants' sleep patterns are constrained by
morning school shifts while others have more flexibility due to an afternoon school shift). Associations between
objectively collected sleep data (7-days of actigraphy) and cardiometabolic biomarkers (adiposity, blood
pressure, and insulin resistance collected at two time points 24 months apart) will be analyzed. Stored
leukocytes will be used to measure gene expression and epigenome-wide DNA methylation. Longitudinal and
epigenome-wide statistical analyses will be conducted.
Career Goals and Development: The PI will gain expertise in assessment of circadian rhythms, epigenetics
laboratory investigation, and epidemiological study design through didactic and hands-on experiences. She will
also advance in her leadership, mentorship, and grantsmanship skills, and by the end of the training period will
apply for an R01 centered on sleep/circadian rhythms, nutrition, and epigenetics.
Environment: Resources available to the PI include a well-rounded and supportive team of mentors
representing the fields of sleep/circadian rhythms, epigenetics, nutrition and cardiometabolic health; and the
excellent research infrastructure at the University of Michigan School of Public Health where the PI has been
guar...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9948419
- **Project number:** 1K01HL151673-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Erica Christine Jansen
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $137,857
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-05-15 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9948419

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9948419, Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Adolescence: Epigenetic Pathways of Cardiometabolic Risk (1K01HL151673-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9948419. Licensed CC0.

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