Conor S. O’Brien Senior Project Manager Harvard Work Hours, Health and Safety Group Sleep Health Institute Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Departments of Medicine and Neurology Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Investigators • Charles A. Czeisler, PhD, MD • Stuart Quan, MD • Laura K. Barger, PhD • Matt Weaver, PhD

Research Staff • Conor O’Brien, Sr. Project Manager • Salim Qadri, Programmer • Natalie Viyaran, Research Assistant

Sleep Health Institute

Conducts large scale field research programs which include sleep health education and sleep disorders screening in

occupational settings

Previous groups worked with include: Firefighters, Police, Astronauts, Air Marshals, College Students and Physicians.

My Personal Story

In 1997 I was a full time musician living in Maine and I was in need of extra money. I applied to participate in a month long inpatient sleep research study at BWH.

Photo by Bob Sasha National Geographic Magazine

Sleep Research Study at BWH

27 day research study looking at caffeine’s effect on alertness: Compensated $2500 to live in a time isolated

environment for 4 weeks No contact with the outside world

No phone, TV or radio use

No email or visitors

Lived on a 42 hour day Awake in dim light for 29 hours In bed in the dark for 14 hours each day cycle 24/7 IV catheter, scalp and face electrodes

Challenges for Research Subjects

Financial burden and inconvenience Travel Costs (gas, parking and tolls) Work coverage for time missed Child care / elder care Multiple visits for unpaid screening tests Fear / Psychosocial Consequences Confidentiality Stress on family Concern for time away

Healthy Research Subjects

Reasons for participation:

Financial benefit Altruism Benefit science in general Impact specific diseases A general want to give back to society

May provide an opportunity for a novel experience

Can provide the participant with insight into their personal health

Overview of the Current Range of

Healthy Research Payments

Outpatient Studies Often give $5- $30 gift cards per online survey

completed More extensive studies pay up to $800 per

month for completing daily diaries and for use of multiple wearable devices and study visits

24/7 - Inpatient Studies Pay $200- $300 per day depending on the

level of burden on the participant One current 37-day study pays $10,125

Some studies of healthy subjects are

deceivingly difficult to recruit for The nature of needing healthy subjects can

in fact be the difficult component in studies of older adults

There are very few healthy older adults who

can pass the screening criteria Most 50 y/o and over who complete lengthy

inpatient studies don’t have full time jobs

Are the rates acceptable?

Outpatient Studies?

Inpatient Studies?