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March 13, 2018

Susan Kohl Malone, Ph.D., RN, 2014 Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar Awarded a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Institute of Nursing Research
By Patricia Eckardt, PhD, RN

Susan Kohl Malone, Ph.D., RN, 2014 Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar and Senior Research Scientist at Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University (NYU), was awarded a Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) from the National Institute of Nursing Research. The K99/R00 project, titled “Personalizing sleep interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes in community dwelling adults with pre-diabetes”, is a collaborative effort between researchers at NYU (Drs. Gail Melkus and Susan Malone), the University of Pennsylvania (Drs. Allan Pack and Barbara Riegel), and Johns Hopkins University (Drs. Ciprian Crainiceanu and Naresh Punjabi).

The K99/R00 project was informed by Dr. Malone’s research as a Heilbrunn Nurse Scholar. This research identified a link between irregular sleep-wake patterns and poor metabolic health in adolescents. Specifically, irregular sleep-wake patterns, but not sleep duration, were linked to a higher body mass index and waist circumference. The K99 project will leverage existing data to quantify the effects of irregular sleep-wake patterns on glucose regulation in persons with diabetes, pre-diabetes, and normoglycemia. The R00 project will test the effects of a personalized sleep intervention versus habitual sleep on the percentage of time glucose is > 140 mg/dL in sleep restricted community-dwelling adults with pre-diabetes using wearable sensor technologies.

The overarching goal of the K99/R00 project is to determine the viability of sleep as a treatment intervention for persons with prediabetes and, thereby, expand intervention options beyond calorie restricted diets and increased physical activity. Mitigating T2D risk based on individual sleep profiles may particularly benefit persons resistant to diet and exercise interventions.