top of page

Participate 

Our most recent advertisements for recruitment for research studies will be shown here.  

Register Your Interest

Thank you for your interest in our research study “FamilySleeps: Investigation of circadian rhythms and sleep in families: a focus on autism” led by Prof Lorna Lopez.

​

In FamilySleeps we will discover more about sleep and its genetic links with autism. We will use state-of-the-art technology to track sleep over one year in families with and without autistic children. Sleep disruption is a big problem for families with autistic children and this research aims to find ways to improve sleep and quality of life for families with autistic children.

We’re looking for families from across the Republic of Ireland to get involved!

 

We’re recruiting two groups:

 

  • Families with at least two children aged 6–10, where one child has an autism diagnosis

  • Families with at least two children aged 6–10, with no autism diagnosis (for our comparison group)

 

If your family fits either group and you’d like to find out more, just register your interest below and someone from our team will be in touch.

​

For more information, please visit the FamilySleeps website here.

​

​

​

Contact us

086 1645998 family.sleeps@mu.ie

Consent Statement


By submitting this form, you are giving your consent for a member of the FamilySleeps research team to contact you regarding participation in this study. Your information will be used solely for this purpose and will not be stored or used for any other reason beyond this initial contact. All data will be handled in accordance with GDPR and will be securely deleted after this purpose is fulfilled.

Previous research studies

Research Study Participants Needed 

Effects of Daylight Exposure and Vitamin D on Circadian Rhythms, Mood, and Sleep 

​

 

Research study title: Development of wearable sensors for assessing exposure to daylight and association with circadian rhythms, mood, sleep, and Vitamin D status. 

 

Am I able to take part?  

  • If you are a healthy adult aged 18-30  

  • If you do NOT have a diagnosis of any condition that might affect your sleep or circadian rhythm (examples include insomnia, narcolepsy, depression, or any neuropsychiatric condition) 

  • If you are NOT taking any medication that might affect your sleep/circadian rhythm or Vitamin D (examples include sleeping tablets, vitamin D supplements, or corticosteroids) 

 

The Team involved:  

We are the Family Genomics Research Group in Maynooth University led by Dr Lorna Lopez. This pilot study is being led by Dr Cathy Wyse and assisted by Aoibhín Woods and Hannah Walsh. 

 

What is the aim of this study? 

Disturbed circadian rhythms are a feature of many neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions in adults and children. Our overall aim at the Family Genomics research group at Maynooth University is to investigate the reasons for this. Exposure to daylight is suspected to be involved in the association between mood, sleep, and circadian rhythms, but we do not have good methods for quantifying intensity and duration of light exposure in individuals. The aim of this study is to trial and optimize the use of sensors for the assessment of daylight exposure and to measure associations with sleep, mood, Vitamin D, and circadian rhythms.  

 

What do I have to do?  

  1. Wear a sensor on your hand/wrist for one week. 

  2. On one occasion only collect 4 drops of blood onto a test card for Vitamin D measurement using a home testing kit that we will provide.  

  3. Complete questionnaires on your sleep, mood, and diet.  

  4. Return the sensors to us after the study using a method of your choice which we will pay for. 

​

Contact us:  

  • If you would like to find out more information, please contact us via email: familysleeps@mu.ie  

  • You can find out more about team members via our Team Page.

 

Funding: Maynooth University Network and Collaboration Support Fund 2021

​

For more about our research: Please review our Population genetics and Human health research theme. 

 

Data Protection at Maynooth University:

  • The Family Genomics Research Group adheres to data protection policies governed by Maynooth University  

  • Visit Maynooth University Data Protection for more information. 

bottom of page