Washington University in St Louis · NeuroscienceSleep and Neurodegeneration Research Unit
Paul J Shaw · Saint Louis, Missouri
Research Focus
Dr. Paul J Shaw's lab focuses on understanding how sleep disruption and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are interconnected. They study the brain's molecular mechanisms that play a role in both conditions using innovative techniques in humans and fruit flies. By analyzing gene expression patterns, they aim to identify potential targets for new treatments that could help improve sleep and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
sleep disruptionAlzheimer's diseasegene expressionDrosophilatranscriptomics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the relationship between sleep fragmentation and Alzheimer's disease pathology.
AIM 02Identify gene associations with sleep disruption and cognitive impairment in older adults.
AIM 03Validate causal genes involved in neurodegeneration and cognitive plasticity using Drosophila models.
AIM 04Integrate human brain data with sleep metrics to find molecular targets for therapy.
AIM 05Develop strategies to improve sleep and reduce Alzheimer's risk in older populations.
Skills the Lab Values
RNA sequencingproteomicsDrosophila geneticscognitive testingdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications104bottom 35% of dept.435th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations6.0kbottom 42% of dept.392nd of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.