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
Petrovsky, D., Gooneratne, N.S., Gerdner, L.A., Bradt, J., Gitlin, L.N., Hodgson, N.A.: Tailored Music Listening Intervention to Reduce Sleep Disturbances in Older Adults with Dementia: Research Protocol Research in Nursing and Health : 1-11,2020.
Perlis ML, Vargas I, Ellis JG, Grandner MA, Morales KH, Gencarelli A, Khader W, Kloss JD, Gooneratne NS, Thase ME: The Natural History of Insomnia: the incidence of acute insomnia and subsequent progression to chronic insomnia or recovery in good sleeper subjects. Sleep 43 (6): zsz299,2020.
Li J, Hodgson N, Lyons MM, Chen KC, Yu F, Gooneratne NS: A personalized behavioral intervention implementing mHealth technologies for older adults: A pilot feasibility study Geriatric Nursing 41 (3): 313-319,2020.
Wang Y, Cheng C, Moelter S, Fuentecilla JL, Kincheloe K, Lozano AJ, Carter P, Gooneratne N, Richards KC.: One Year of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Adherence Improves Cognition in Older Adults With Mild Apnea and Mild Cognitive Impairment. Nursing Research 69 (2): 157-164,2020.
McPhillips MV, Dickson VV, Cacchione PZ, Li J, Gooneratne NS, Riegel B: Nursing Home Eligible, Community-Dwelling Older Adults' Perceptions and Beliefs About Sleep: A Mixed-Methods Study. Clinical Nursing Research 29 (3): 177-188,2020.
Chhatre S, Chang YHA, Gooneratne NS, Kuna S, Strollo P, Jayadevappa R: Association between adherence to continuous positive airway pressure treatment and cost among medicare enrollees. Sleep 43 (1): zsz188,2020.
McPhillips, M., Li, J., Hodgson, N.; Cacchione, P.; Dickson, V.; Gooneratne, N., Riegel, B.: Daytime sleepiness and napping in nursing-home eligible community dwelling older adults: A mixed methods study Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Pending : 2020.
Robbins R, Jean-Louis G, Gallagher RA, Hale L, Branas CC, Gooneratne NS, Alfonso-Miller P, Perlis M, Grandner MA: Examining social capital in relation to sleep duration, insomnia, and daytime sleepiness. Sleep medicine 60 : 165-172,2019.
Richards KC, Gooneratne NS, Dicicco B, Hanlon A, Moelter S, Onen F, Wang Y, Sawyer A, Weaver T, Lozano A, Carter P, Johnson J: CPAP Adherence May Slow 1-Year Cognitive Decline in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Apnea. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 67 (3): 558-564,2019.
Gooneratne, N.S., Bastian, R., Winston, F. (eds.): Academic Entrepreneurship for Medical and Health Scientists Book : 420,2019.
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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