The Scientists Behind The Brain Resilience Study
Internal Clocks: How Circadian Rhythms Shape Brain Resilience
At this year’s Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, researchers from across the globe gathered to share the latest advances in neuroscience. Among them, the Brain Resilience Study team from SFU’s Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology (INN) presented findings that are advancing our understanding of the aging brain. In this series, we introduce the scientists driving this work and the stories that brought them here.
Today, we spoke with Stephanie U. She is pursuing a PhD in psychology and is an INN researcher specializing in sleep health, circadian rhythms, and behavioral neuroscience.
From the moment we wake up to when we feel sleepy at night, an internal clock is quietly guiding our bodies. Known as circadian rhythms, these biological signals influence far more than sleep; they play a critical role in the brain’s resilience, especially as we age. Stephanie’s research is helping to reveal how disruptions to circadian rhythms may contribute to cognitive decline and dementia.
Stephanie has been studying this connection for five years but her journey began early on with the breaking of a simple classroom myth: that humans don’t actually use just 20% of their brains. This sparked a deeper curiosity about how the brain works and how much remains unknown.
That curiosity eventually led to her studying circadian rhythms. These cycles are controlled by a part of the brain referred to as the “central clock.” Circadian rhythms regulate everything from hormone release and digestion to attention and memory.
“People often think circadian rhythms are just about sleep,” Stephanie explains. “But they affect nearly every system in the body.”
This becomes especially important when studying older adults. As people age, their circadian rhythms naturally shift. While teenagers tend to stay up late and sleep in, older adults often wake up much earlier; sometimes as early as 4 or 5 a.m. These changes can directly influence when individuals perform best cognitively.
“If we test someone at the wrong time of day, we might not be capturing their true abilities,” she notes.
Her research involves tracking biological markers like melatonin and cortisol through saliva and urine samples collected every few hours. These measurements help map how circadian rhythms align or don’t align with sleep patterns and cognitive performance.
But studying something as personal and variable as daily rhythms comes with challenges. Participants must follow strict schedules, avoid time zone changes, and collect samples consistently even overnight. For older adults, health conditions can make this process even more complex.
Despite these challenges, one thing that stands out the most is the participants’ enthusiasm.
“Older adults are incredibly willing to contribute,” she says. “They bring so many life experiences, and it’s meaningful to me to hear their stories.”
Stephanie’s research also highlights a simple but powerful takeaway, which is that staying consistent matters. Maintaining regular sleep and wake times can support brain health, improve recovery, and strengthen overall well-being.
Looking ahead, Stephanie’s biggest goal is expanding the scale of her research. She is hoping to track circadian rhythms over longer periods and across more diverse populations. Because ultimately, understanding how our internal clocks change over our lifetime could lead to better ways of supporting brain resilience across the lifespan.
For older adults, those answers could be life changing. With your support, we can keep pushing this research forward and uncover the answers that help people not just live longer but also live better. Support the Brain Resilience Study ➔