Gemma Paech

I have worked within the field of sleep and circadian rhythms for over 12 years, having started as a sleep technologist in 2006 as a recent graduate before getting my PhD from the University of South Australia in 2014. I recently returned back to Australia from the USA where I worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at Washington State University with Hans PA Van Dongen and later at Rush University Medical with Charmane Eastman.

To date, my research has focused on the impact of sleep loss, circadian disruption, and the effects of shiftwork and jet-lag on sleep and cognitive functioning. My current research focuses on the role of the circadian timing system (our body clock) in the development of disease and illnesses and the use of non-pharmacological therapies such as light and melatonin to improve sleep quantity and quality and disease symptoms in various patient groups.