David W. Carley, PhD

Bio
Originally trained as electrical and medical engineer, Dr. Carley has expertise and extensive experience in basic neuroscience, translational research and clinical trials focused in the areas of sleep and sleep disorders. He is the immediate past Director of the Center for Narcolepsy, Sleep and Health Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago Colleges of Nursing and Medicine. His research integrates clinical investigation with mathematical and animal models of sleep and sleep-related breathing disorders; and seeks to understand mechanisms that link alterations in sleep and circadian rhythms with daytime biobehavioral cognitive and social function as well as respiratory and cardiometabolic disorders.  His research also seeks to develop novel and improved treatments for sleep-related disorders. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Carley has led numerous NIH, Foundation and industry funded studies into the causes and consequences of sleep disorders, with an eye toward new treatment strategies. A particular focus has been on sleep-related changes in brainstem respiratory control mechanisms. Dr. Carley’s work led to the organizing hypothesis that vagal afferent dysregulation can predispose to sleep apnea syndrome, and that pharmacologic interventions aimed at regulating vagal reflexes may yield useful drug treatments for this disorder. As a natural result of this foundational animal work, he has framed and led several successful clinical trials aimed at manipulating vagal afferent activity using drug treatments. He currently is the program director of an NIH-sponsored multi-site randomized controlled trial of cannabimimetic treatment of sleep apnea (the PACE Trial). This trial builds directly from his initial studies in an animal model followed by his initial small-scale pilot study in patients.

Selected Grants
National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Cannabimimetic treatment of obstructive sleep apnea: A proof of concept trial, Principal Investigator

National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Neurobiology of sleep apnea in aging, Principal Investigator

National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Sleep-dependent determinants of biobehavioral function, Principal Investigator

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, Neurobiological mechanisms of sympathetic regulation in sleep apnea, Co-Investigator

National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, Efficacy and mechanisms of a behavioral therapy for insomnia coexisting with COPD, Co-Investigator

National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, Impact of sleep apnea exacerbation on brain cholinergic signaling and cognition, Co-Investigator

Chicago Biotechnology Consortium, Co-localization of 5-HT3 and cannabinoid receptors in the rat nodose ganglion, Co-Principal Investigator/Mentor

Chancellor's Innovation Fund, Proof of Concept for Real-time prediction of driving performance and safety, Principal Investigator