Our Mission
The Sleep Research Consortium facilitates research projects, community-based programs, and initiatives that promote population and individual health through healthy sleep and sleep-related chronic disease prevention and reduction.
Research
The SRC collaborates with academic and community partners at the national, state, and local level to conduct research, disseminate findings, and develop and implement projects, programs, and initiatives which meet a need and improve the health of Tennesseans, and which may be replicated nationally. Learn more about current work being done.
Partners
Partners are needed for current and future research projects as well as community projects, programs, and initiatives. The SRC is proud to have Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee as a lead partner. Want to find out more about how to get involved? Please contact us to discuss partnership opportunities.
Funding and Support
The work of the SRC is carried out through grant funding and support of participating organizations and partners. Grant funding for projects is initiated, facilitated, and administered through MTSU Center for Health and Human Services as part of its ongoing externally-funded research and work dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Tennesseans.
Interested in getting involved or learning more?
Sleep and Health
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Sleep is something to which we devote a third of our lives.
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There is a 60% increased risk of stroke in people with sleep apnea.
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About 65% of Americans are now overweight or obese.
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75% of Sleep Disorders are Undiagnosed
Sources: Sleep Centers of Middle Tennessee (2018). Blog and Recent News. Retrieved from https://sleepcenterinfo.com/. National Sleep Foundation (2018). Obesity and Sleep. Retrieved from https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/obesity-and-sleep.
Leadership and Partners
William H. Noah, MD
Chair and Medical Director
Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Noah was the first to practice sleep medicine in Rutherford County in 1994. Dr. Noah lectures nationally on successful outcomes in sleep medicine.
Cynthia Chafin
Associate Director
Cynthia serves as the Sleep Research Consortium’s Director of Research, Projects, and Programs. She currently serves as Associate Director for the MTSU Center for Health and Human Services as of May 2018, previously serving as interim director from October 2015- April 2018. Ms. Chafin co-founded the Consortium with Dr. Bill Noah and other partners.
Gabriel Toban
Director, Data and Technology
Gabe serves as the Sleep Research Consortium’s Director, Data, and Technology. Mr. Toban is a student in the Computational Science PhD program at MTSU.
Jame Andry, MD
Research Consultant
Dr. Andry serves as Research Consultant to the Sleep Research Consortium. He is affiliated with Vanderbilt University Biomedical Informatics, and General Neurology.
Todd Gary
Research Consultant
Todd serves as Research Consultant for the Sleep Research Consortium, and was previously with MTSU Office of Research Services. Todd is currently the Associate Vice President of Research and Community Development at Trevecca Nazarene University.
Research and Project Partners:
Charlie H. Apigian, PhD., Middle Tennessee State University, Data Science Institute and Information Systems and Analytics, Jones College
of Business
Don Hong, Ph.D., Middle Tennessee State University, Mathematical Sciences
Mike Leventhal, Tennessee Men’s Health Network
Ramon Llamas, MPH, Men’s Health Network
Nikki Jones, DSW, Middle Tennessee State University, Social Work
John Wallin, Ph.D., Middle Tennessee State University, Physics and Astronomy, Computational Science
Vickie Harden, Ph.D., Middle Tennessee State University, Social Work