Attending The British Sleep Society 2025 Conference in Brighton

Members of our Family Genomics Research Group, including Research Fellow Dr. Cathy Wyse (who recently started as Chancellors’ Fellow in the University of Edinburgh), Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Mailton Vasconcelos and PhD Student Aung Myat Phyo, had the esteemed opportunity to attend the British Sleep Society 2025 Conference in Brighton from November 5th to 7th, 2025. This prominent event is recognized as the UK’s largest multidisciplinary conference dedicated to sleep, embracing both clinical sleep medicine and pioneering research in the field.  

The conference encompassed a variety of engaging sessions, highlighted by keynote lectures addressing topics such as "Novel Approaches for the Study of Human Sleep and Circadian Rhythms," "Sleep and Life on Earth," and "Sleep Research and Sleeplessness in the Nineteenth Century." Moreover, in the exhibition area, our team members gained valuable insights into advancements like hypoglossal nerve stimulation, medical device technological advancements in sleep problems diagnosis and the application of mandibular advancement devices for addressing sleep-related issues.  

From left to right: Aung, Mailton, Cathy 

At the closing ceremony, we were thrilled to see Dr. Cathy Wyse honoured with the Malcolm Von Schantz Award 2025, in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of chronobiology. Dr. Mailton Vasconcelos had the privilege of presenting an oral presentation titled "Chronotype Modulates Associations between Autistic Traits and Sleep Disruption: Cross-Sectional and Prospective Findings from 10,108 Participants of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study" during a session focused on paediatric sleep medicine. Additionally, PhD Student Aung Myat Phyo showcased his research in the poster session with the presentation "Cross-Sectional Associations between Autism-Related Social Difficulties, Chronotype, and Sleep Disruption in 89,602 UK Biobank Participants," for which he was generously awarded a travel grant by the organizing committee.  

In summary, the conference provided an enriching platform for learning and collaboration while fostering connections with fellow researchers and professionals in the field. Our team is enthusiastic about the prospect of participating in future conferences, furthering our commitment to advancements in sleep research.