Pediatric Asthma Disparities: The Role of Sleep and Immune Balance

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This K24 application proposes a mentorship program in patient-oriented research in multi-level contributors to pediatric asthma health disparities, wih a focus on sleep and immune balance. The K24 Candidate is an Associate Professor (Research) in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior of the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, with a history of funding in behavioral interventions and longitudinal research aimed at improving asthma outcomes in urban children and addressing health disparities in pediatric asthma. Training Plan: The candidate will obtain additional training in asthma clinical immunology and sleep physiology, including state-of the art methods to assess immune biomarkers relevant to asthma and sleep, and in-lab methods to assess sleep phenomenology through experimental approaches. Research Plan: The research proposed involves an innovative investigation of the effects of experimental sleep disruption on immune balance (Th1/Th2 cytokine ratio-Th1/Th2R; plasma IL-6 -pIL-6), and associated changes in asthma- related lung function (FEV1 by spirometry) and daytime performance in urban children with persistent asthma (8-10 years old). Forty children and their primary caregiver will each participate in a within-subjects protocol, with two experimental sleep conditions: baseline sleep (1 overnight, in-lab polysomnographic (PSG) sleep study), followed by sleep fragmentation (1 overnight, in-lab PSG). Prior to each condition, children will follow a 6-day sleep stabilization schedule at home. We will monitor sleep and lung function (FEV1 by spirometry) daily to confirm eligibility and adherence to sleep criteria, and assess asthma status. We include assessments of immune biomarkers and daytime performance following each condition. Results from this study ultimately will support the development of asthma and sleep interventions for urban and ethnically diverse children. Our data will elucidate how immune biomarkers relevant to asthma and sleep operate in relation to sleep disruption, and clinical indicators of worsening asthma (lung function), to identify those most at risk, prioritize intervention targets, and improve treatment response. Mentoring Plan: The proposed mentoring plan offers opportunities for mentorship of postdoctoral fellows, residents and junior faculty with interests in POR. Mentees will be involved in ongoing longitudinal and intervention studies on pediatric asthma disparities, including the proposed research, which will focus on biological-based processes that contribute to asthma and sleep in urban children. A strong emphasis is placed on the recruitment and selection of minority mentees. This overall plan capitalizes on the rich resources and training opportunities available to postdoctoral fellows, residents and junior faculty at Brown Medical School, including several T32 fellowship programs, numerous junior faculty with K awards and small grants, a commitment to diversity in training, seminars in research design, ethics, and statistics, and an established infrastructure for evaluation.