Helen Burgess, Ph.D.

Michigan Neuroscience Institute Affiliate
Co-Director, Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory
Professor, Department of Psychiatry

Rachel Upjohn Builidng
University of Michigan Depression Center
4250 Plymouth Rd
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

Areas of Interest

As part of the University of Michigan’s Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory, I research sleep and circadian rhythms in human clinical disorders and treat patients with sleep and circadian disorders.
The overarching goals of our program are to:

  1. understand the role of sleep and circadian rhythms in human clinical disorders;
  2. create, test, and translate sleep and circadian research to improve health and well-being;
  3. promote the integration of sleep and circadian wellness into everyday clinical practice;
  4. train the next generation of sleep and circadian scientists and clinicians.

My scientific research examines basic sleep and circadian rhythm mechanisms. Specifically, I study sleep and circadian rhythms in the context of various clinical disorders, including alcohol use disorders, autism, chronic pain, depression, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, HIV, jet lag, migraine, shift work, sleep disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I also study how we can use light and melatonin to improve sleep and circadian adaptation to help optimize health and relieve symptom burden. I have developed a method to facilitate accurate measurement of circadian timing in the home environment with appropriate compliance measures.

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