Ryan Perkins

Spring 2024 Office Hours: MW 11:00am-1:00pm or by appointment

Scholarly Interests

My research agenda has a clinical flavor to it, focusing on the inflammatory burden associated with aging/disease and benefits of exercise on these processes. More specifically, my interests include:

• Aging & inflammation
• Metabolic disorders
• Adaptations to chronic exercise
• Muscle immune infrastructure

Nightshift Work Study Details

Purpose of the study

Nightshift work is a relatively common professional approach that includes at least 3 hours of work between 11:00 pm - 6:00 am. This important part of our society is associated with insufficient sleep quality and sleep quantity overall (i.e., sleep hygiene). The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 - 9 hours of sleep each night to maintain good health. Unfortunately, nearly one third of all adults don’t meet these recommendations.

Science and medicine are beginning to appreciate the importance of good sleep hygiene, as it helps regulate the function of our body’s systems. Recently conducted studies have shown that poor sleep hygiene, as seen in those that work nightshift, leads to impaired function of the cardiovascular system and our skeletal muscles. However, there is still much to learn on this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the health of the cardiovascular system and skeletal muscle of participants that work nightshift and dayshift schedules.

How long will the research last?

We expect that individuals participating in the research study activities will spend about 3 hours total during one visit. This study will take place in our laboratory spaces located in YOLO Hall on the campus of California State University, Chico. There is an opportunity for compensation!

What will you undergo?

• Health, exercise, & sleep questionnaires
• Resting cardiovascular function testing
• Maximal cycle exercise testing
• Body composition assessment
• Blood draws

Who may participate in the study?

This study includes healthy men and women between the ages of 18-40 years old. Participants must be recreationally active (<4 exercise sessions per week), with no recent history of smoking or drug use, and either a dayshift (regular work schedule between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM) or nightshift worker (at least 3 hours working regularly between 11:00 PM and 6:00 AM). We expect about 30 people from the greater Chico area will participate in this research study.

Contact Dr Ryan Perkins, PhD (rperkins2@csuchico.edu) for more information.

See pubmed.gov scholarly works.