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This summer, students in Biola’s Stewart Honors Program participated in the School of Science, Technology and Health’s Research and Internship Summer Experience (RISE). They worked with Biola faculty members, who serve as Stewart Fellows, on existing research projects such as exploring acute sleep deprivation and the effects of alcohol on the brain.

Co-director of Stewart Honors and professor of Biological Sciences, Dr. Behzad Varamini, led a research group of four students to study how acute sleep deprivation disrupts glucose levels, lipid accumulation and energy metabolism.

“This project is important because sleep is such a crucial part of the life of every organism,” said Varamini. “Understanding the biological mechanisms of sleep deprivation, particularly the metabolic disturbances that come with a lack of sleep, can help scientists design therapies or treatments for people who have difficulty sleeping or whose work schedules disrupt their sleep patterns.”

In collaboration with another research group from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, Varamini’s group used a mouse model to track the relationship between sleep deprivation and metabolic levels. Their research found that in addition to increased lipid and glucose uptake in the liver and the brain, a lack of sleep promoted mitochondrial