Washington University in St Louis · BiologySleep Nexus Lab
Keith B. Hengen · Saint Louis, Missouri
Research Focus
Dr. Keith B. Hengen's lab at Washington University focuses on understanding the relationship between sleep and brain health, particularly in the context of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The research aims to uncover how sleep can help maintain optimal neural activity and prevent cognitive decline. By using innovative techniques to enhance sleep and its restorative effects, the lab seeks to identify new therapeutic strategies for combating neurodegeneration.
neurodegenerative diseasesleepbrain healthcriticalitycognitive decline
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how sleep reinforcement impacts neuronal health.
AIM 02Test pharmacological methods to enhance sleep and reduce tauopathy.
AIM 03Explore the relationship between network dynamics and neuronal integrity.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsneural activity recordingsleep enhancement techniquesdata analysisbehavioral assays
Output against the department
Publications71bottom 20% of dept.824th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.0kbottom 14% of dept.884th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.