Northwestern University · NeuroscienceKnutson Lab
Kristen Knutson · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Kristen Knutson's lab focuses on understanding the connection between sleep and Alzheimer's disease by studying how specific proteins in the blood are influenced by sleep patterns. The research aims to identify biomarkers that can predict cognitive performance and dementia risk, providing insights that could lead to better prevention strategies. Ultimately, their work seeks to connect sleep health with brain function, especially in older adults.
Alzheimer's Diseasesleep architectureprotein biomarkerscognitive functionglymphatic systemneurocognitionlongitudinal studiesbrain healthdementia riskneurodegeneration
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the relationship between sleep, neurocognitive function, and blood protein biomarkers.
AIM 02Identify proteins modulated by sleep that are associated with cognitive function in adults.
AIM 03Develop a knowledge graph connecting sleep endophenotypes, circulating proteins, and cognitive changes.
AIM 04Examine existing longitudinal data to assess how sleep impacts cognitive decline over time.
AIM 05Conduct experimental studies to evaluate changes in protein biomarkers in response to varying sleep conditions.
Skills the Lab Values
polysomnography (PSG)blood samplingneurocognitive testingproteomicsdata analysislongitudinal study designcognitive assessmentsstatistical modelingexperimental designknowledge graph construction
Output against the department
Publications234top 31% of dept.210th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations48ktop 7% of dept.46th 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.