Nehs Neuroenergetics and Sleep Lab

Research Overview

Our research connects cellular metabolism with the neural systems that regulate sleep, arousal, cognition, and behavior. We examine these relationships across physiological sleep–wake states, pharmacologically altered brain states, and experimental models of aging and disease. This approach allows us to investigate metabolic function in the context of well-characterized electrophysiological and behavioral phenotypes.

The laboratory combines EEG/EMG, in vivo electrophysiology, fiber photometry, and metabolic imaging with behavioral, molecular, and histological analyses. Optical measurements of ATP and live-slice fluorescence lifetime imaging of endogenous NAD(P)H complement assessments of oxidative stress, glial responses, and cognitive function. Together, these approaches connect brain-state physiology with cellular processes relevant to neuronal function and vulnerability.

A major emphasis is understanding the effects of metabolic interventions, including ketogenic diets and exogenous ketones, and how these effects vary with age, sex, and physiological context. Complementary human studies examine relationships among nutrition, metabolic health, sleep, and cognition. Collaborations involving wearable sleep measurements, electronic health records, and large research cohorts extend our laboratory work to clinically relevant questions and population-level observations.