Dr. Matthew Walker joined UT Dallas in January to build the future of sleep science. His research spans fundamental neuroscience and the development of innovative engineering tools to improve the quality of life.
Dr. Matthew Walker is helping to transform sleep research from an observational field into one in which engineered solutions can measure and improve brain health.
In January, he joined The University of Texas at Dallas as a professor of neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and of bioengineering in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
As the inaugural director of the Sleep Innovation Laboratories at the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, Walker explores sleep’s impact on multiple aspects of human health, from memory to emotional well-being. Before joining UT Dallas, he was a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley, where he founded and led the Center for Human Sleep Science. Prior to that he was on the faculty of Harvard University.
“I came to Dallas to build the future of sleep science — one that’s interdisciplinary, tech-forward and focused on enhancing brain health, not just studying brain disease,” Walker said. “I wanted to build a neurotechnology future for sleep. And to do that, you’ve got to have an engineering department of epic horsepower potential. Enter UT Dallas.”
“I wanted to build a neurotechnology future for sleep. And to do that, you’ve got to have an engineering department of epic horsepower potential. Enter UT Dallas.”
Dr. Matthew Walker
Dr. Stephanie G. Adams, Jonsson School dean and the Lars Magnus Ericsson Chair, said Walker is a rare find.
“Matt exemplifies that the grandest scientific advances arise from cross-discipline collaborations. He is an extraordinary talent whose innovations bridge several schools and who will augment work already occurring at UT Dallas,” said Adams, a professor of systems engineering.
Walker and his team are developing tools, including software and hardware, to improve sleep quality as part of treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, depression, anxiety disorders, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as enhancing the performance of professional athletes.
“We know that sleep is a foundational element of brain health, fueling our ability to engage, perform and thrive,” said Sandra Bond Chapman PhD’86, chief director of the Center for BrainHealth and the Dee Wyly Distinguished University Chair for BrainHealth. “With access to the world’s largest brain health dataset — gathered through our landmark longitudinal study The BrainHealth Project — we look forward to novel discoveries from Dr. Walker related to the role of sleep, as well as interventions that will make a real difference in people’s lives.”
Dr. Matthew Walker
Title: professor of neuroscience and of bioengineering; director, Sleep Innovation Laboratories at the Center for BrainHealth
Previously: professor of psychology and neuroscience; founder and director, Center for Human Sleep Science, University of California, Berkeley
Research interests: Integration of neuroscience, biomedical engineering, technology and data science as applied to human sleep research; novel technologies for sleep optimization, diagnosis and treatment; sleep’s role in health and disease including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, depression, anxiety disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Education: Bachelor of Science in neuroscience, University of Nottingham in England; PhD in neurophysiology, Newcastle University in England.
Walker’s research has demonstrated that sleep impacts a variety of systems, from DNA expression to social dynamics, and that sleep loss can lead to social withdrawal, amplify anxiety and reduce vaccine effectiveness. Other studies have linked sleep disruption to beta-amyloid accumulation, which is associated with Alzheimer’s. Walker’s work, supported by the National Institutes of Health, addresses multiple dimensions of sleep, including rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and deep non-REM sleep, as well as total sleep amount and continuity.
“Eight hours versus eight hours is not the same,” he said. “If you get eight hours with maybe just two long bouts of sleep throughout the night, that transacts more biological and psychological benefits than eight highly fragmented hours.”
Walker’s work spans fundamental neuroscience and practical device development, including a second-generation brain stimulation headband used by NBA players that synchronizes stimulation with individual brainwave patterns. His team explores auditory stimulation technology and is developing tools that involve electrical stimulation, temperature manipulation and kinesthetic motion to target various aspects of sleep. He is also interested in the use of wearable sensors capable of tracking biomarkers related to sleep.
“Dr. Walker is at the forefront of transforming neuroscience with engineering innovation toward developing paradigm-shifting solutions that can have profound impact on the quality of human life,” said Dr. Shalini Prasad, professor and department head of bioengineering and the Cecil H. and Ida Green Professor in Systems Biology Science. She and her colleagues recently published a study on a wearable perspiration-based sensor that measures two key hormones, melatonin and cortisol, that regulate the body’s sleep-wake cycle.
Walker said the combination of world-class neuroscience programs and cutting-edge biomedical engineering capabilities made UT Dallas an ideal place to continue his work to advance sleep research and promote brain health science to broader audiences, while tapping into the University’s entrepreneurial attitude and engineering expertise.
“UT Dallas has one of the most exceptional neuroscience departments in the country. The University also has an incredible psychology department,” Walker said. “Beyond my work in those disciplines, I also have a number of startups, several of which involve high-end neurotechnology. At UT Dallas, I now have an extraordinary set of engineering, and specifically biomedical engineering, colleagues who are excited about cross-disciplinary work.”
Walker said the next two decades of sleep science will see the development of technologies that could change brain function and enable continuous, adaptive support for brain health across the human lifespan.
“That future is no longer science fiction,” Walker said. “I think it’s very much science fact now. At UT Dallas and the Center for BrainHealth, I found the perfect ecosystem to make that future real.”