Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests:

Aging, sleep, complementary/alternative medicine, melatonin, patient-oriented research, translational research, categorical data, clinical trials, multivariate analysis, time series.

Description of Research:

Dr. Gooneratne’s research interests are centered around studying the nature of sleep disorders in the elderly. While many older adults complain of difficulties with sleep, it is an area about which modern medicine has only a limited understanding. Funded initially by a National Institute on Aging Mentored Research Career Development Award (K23), he is pursuing research examining the role of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, in sleep in the elderly and the effects of sleep apnea treatment on cognitive function in older adults. Dr.Gooneratne also runs a Sleep Disorders Clinic for Seniors in an effort to address the medical needs of older patients with sleep disorders. In addition, Dr. Gooneratne is the Associate Director of the Masters in Translational Research Program, with a focus on Entrepreneurial Science education at the University of Pennsylvania's ITMATEd program. He is the director of the mHealth mobile app development service at ITMAT (CTSA/Penn). He also helps to coordinate the research activities of the Geriatric fellows in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and mentors research fellows in the Division of Sleep Medicine.

Selected Publications

Richards KC, Gooneratne N.: Clinicians should not avoid prescribing CPAP in older adults with cognitive impairment Sleep Med Rev 73 : 2024.

Hodgson NA, McPhillips MV, Petrovsky DV, Perez A, Talwar S, Gooneratne N, Riegel B, Aryal S, Gitlin LN.: Timed Activity to Minimize Sleep Disturbance in People With Cognitive Impairment Innov Aging 8 (1): 2023.

Richards KC, Lozano AJ, Morris J, Moelter ST, Ji W, Vallabhaneni V, Wang Y, Chi L, Davis EM, Cheng C, Aguilar V, Khan S, Sankhavaram M, Hanlon AL, Wolk DA, Gooneratne N.: Predictors of Adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Older Adults With Apnea and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 78 : 1861-1870,2023.

McPhillips MV, Li J, Petrovsky DV, Brewster GS, Ward EJ 3rd, Hodgson N, Gooneratne NS: Assisted Relaxation Therapy for Insomnia in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study Int J Aging Hum Dev 97 (1): 65-80,2023.

McPhillips MV, Li J, Petrovsky DV, Gooneratne NS, Aryal S, Hodgson NA.: A randomized controlled trial to test a behavioral sleep intervention to improve insomnia symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: Multicomponent Behavioral Sleep Intervention (MBSI) protocol Contemp Clin Trials : 2023.

Richards KC, Radhakrishnan K, Britt KC, Vanags-Louredo A, Park E, Gooneratne NS, Fry L: "Please Don't Forget Us": A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Caregivers of Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the COVID-19 Pandemic Res Gerontol Nurs 15 (5): 217-228,2022.

Chang JL, Goldberg AN, Alt JA, Ashbrook L, Auckley D, Ayappa I, Bakhtiar H, Barrera JE, Bartley BL, Billings ME, Boon MS, Bosschieter P, Braverman I, Brodie K, Cabrera-Muffly C, Caesar R, Cahali MB, Cai Y, Cao M, Capasso R, Caples SM, Chahine LM, Chang CP, Chang KW, Chaudhary N, Cheong CSJ, Chowdhuri S, Cistulli PA, Claman D, Collen J, Coughlin K, Creamer J, Davis EM, Dupuy-McCauley KL, Durr ML, Dutt M, Ali ME, Elkassabany NM, Epstein LJ, Fiala JA, Freedman N, Gill K, Gillespie MB, Golisch L, Gooneratne N, Gottlieb DJ, Green KK, Gulati A, Gurubhagavatula I, Hayward N, Hoff PT, Hoffmann OMG, Holfinger SJ, Hsia J, Huntley C, Huoh KC, Huyett P, Inala S, Ishman S, Jella TK, Jobanputra AM, Johnson AP, Junna MR, Kado JT, Kaffenberger TM, Kapur VK, Kezirian EJ, Khan M, Kirsch DB, Kominsky A, Kryger M, Krystal AD, Kushida CA, Kuzniar TJ, Lam DJ, Lettieri CJ, Lim DC, Lin HC, Liu SYC, MacKay SG, Magalang UJ, Malhotra A, Maurer JT, May AM, Mitchell RB, Mokhlesi B, Mullins AE, Nada EM, Naik S, Nokes B, Olson MD, Pack AI, Pang EB, Pang KP, Patil SP, de Perck EV, Piccirillo JF, Pien GW, Piper AJ, Plawecki A, Quigg M, Ravesloot MJL, Redline S, Rotenberg BW, Ryden A, Sarmiento KF, Sbeih F, Schell AE, Schmickl CN, Schotland HM, Schwab RJ, Seo J, Shah N, Shelgikar AV, Shochat I, Soose RJ, Steele TO, Stephens E, Stepnowsky C, Strohl KP, Sutherland K, Suurna MV, Thaler E, Thapa S, Vanderveken OM, de Vries N, Weaver EM, Weir ID, Wolfe LF, Woodson BT, Won CHJ, Xu J, Yalamanchi P, Yaremchuk K, Yeghiazarians Y, Yu JL, Zeidler M, Rosen IM: International consensus statement on obstructive sleep apnea Int Forum Allergy Rhinol : 2022.

Britt KC, Richards KC, Radhakrishnan K, Vanags-Louredo A, Park E, Gooneratne NS, Fry L: Religion, Spirituality, and Coping During the Pandemic: Perspectives of Dementia Caregivers Clin Nurs Res : 2022.

Li J, Vitiello MV, Gooneratne NS.: Sleep in Normal Aging Sleep Med Clin 17 (2): 161-171,2022.

Elkhatib Smidt SD, Gooneratne N, Brodkin ES, Bucan M, Mitchell JA: Sufficient sleep duration in autistic children and the role of physical activity Autism 26 (4): 814-826,2022.

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Academic Contact Information

Ralston Penn Center, Room 220
3615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Phone: 215-662-7772
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366