Skip to main content
About our lab

Aging & Healthy Rhythms Research Lab

The Aging & Healthy Rhythms Research Lab focuses on understanding changes in the “daily rhythms” of routine health behaviors in the wake of stressful life events common in later life like spousal/partner death. Our goal is to identify risk factors for rhythm disruptions, and to develop and test interventions to help older adults to stabilize daily patterns of activities and thereby avoid common complications of major life stressors (e.g., decrements in health and well-being; increased depression).

We explore exactly how the 24-hour rhythm of daytime activity and nighttime sleep – also known as the circadian rest-activity rhythm – becomes disrupted during major life events. Understanding the rest-activity rhythm in bereaved individuals is essential for targeting when their behavioral activities should be scheduled in order strengthen their biological clock and prevent adverse health effects of bereavement.

Sunrise along the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PA
Current Research Funding
  • T32 MH019986 (Role: Trainee): Clinical Research Training in Geriatric Psychiatry, 2011-2014.
  • K01 MH103467 (Role: PI): A Randomized Pilot Study of Behavioral Self-monitoring to Promote Mental Health among Spousally Bereaved Older Adults, 2015-2019.
  • R01 MH118270 (Role: PI): Efficacy of a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Depression in Older Spousally-bereaved Adults
  • (pilot awardee) P30 AG024978 (Role: PI): Optimizing Older Dementia Caregivers’ Biological Clock through Lifestyle Change, 2022-2023.
  • R41 AG069596 (Role: Co-I): Developing a Widely-useable Wearable Circadian Profiling System to assess 24-hour Behavioral Rhythm Disruption in People with Dementia and their Family Caregivers, 2021-2023.
  • R01 MH125846 (Role: Co-I): Morning Activation Deficits and Depression Symptoms: Mechanisms and Modifiability in Dementia Caregivers. 2021-2026.
  • R01 MH085651 (Role: Co-I): Decision Processes of Late-life Suicide, 2023-2025.
  • R01 MH132114 (Role: Co-PI): Risk and Resilience to Late-life Suicidal Ideation and Behavior after Spousal Bereavement: Targeting Social Connectedness to Strengthen Circadian Rhythms, 2023-2028.