Meet the research leaders in sleep disorders
Associate Professor Declan Kennedy MBBS MD DCH, FRACP FRCP
Associate Professor Kennedy is co-leader of the Sleep Disorders Stream at the Children's Research Centre alongside Dr James Martin and Associate Professor Kurt Lushington. He is also Deputy Head of the Discipline of Paediatrics at the University of Adelaide, where he is also a senior lecturer in paediatric thoracic medicine. In addition to his role at the University, he works as a paediatric thoracic and sleep physician in Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital.
Associate Professor Kennedy leads one of the country's unique paediatric sleep research teams involving members of the three Adelaide universities, the University of Rome and the University of Michigan. This research team was one of the first to produce evidence that snoring can cause learning problems in children. These research findings are of major public health significance given that sleep breathing disorders affect 5-10% of all children.
Associate Professor Kennedy is currently investigating the processes that lead to impaired memory and cognitive deficits associated with Sleep Breathing Disorders (SBD), and whether these deficits are likely to be permanent. He and his team also hope to determine the impact of snoring on cardiovascular health, the effect of obesity on sleep, and whether treatment for SBD at an earlier age leads to better cognitive and behavioural function.
Contact Associate Professor Declan Kennedy
Dr James Martin MBChB, MRCP(UK) FRACP
Dr Martin is co-leader of the Sleep Disorders Stream at the Children's Research Centre alongside Dr Declan Kennedy and Dr Kurt Lushington, and Director of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Women's and Children's Hospital. He is also Deputy Chief of the Division Medicine at the Children's Youth and Women's Health Service, and a Clinical Lecturer in the Discipline of Paediatrics at the University of Adelaide.
Dr Martin is responsible for providing clinical support to children suffering from cystic fibrosis, asthma, acute respiratory disease and sleep problems. An expert in paediatric respiratory medicine, Dr Martin was the first to describe the outcome of paediatric asthma in young adults anywhere in the world, and has published landmark papers on mycoplasma pneumonia; lung development and disease; passive smoking; the effects of physiotherapy on cystic fibrosis; and the impact of mild nocturnal obstruction on cognitive perforrmance in childhood.
Dr Martin and his team are currently investigating the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the neurocognitive function and blood vessel health of children with Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB). To date, the research undertaken by Dr Martin and his colleagues has enabled the early identification of vascular changes in children affected by sleep breathing problems, and has led to intervention strategies that have thwarted the early onset of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) later on in life.
Associate Professor Kurt Lushington BSc MClinPsych PhD
Associate Professor Lushington is co-leader of the Sleep Disorders Stream at the Children's Research Centre alongside Associate Professor Declan Kennedy and Dr James Martin. He is also Associate Head of the School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy and Head of the Discipline of Psychology at the University of South Australia.
A registered clinical psychologist, Associate Professor Lushington has many years' experience working in mental health, post-traumatic stress, counselling and nursing. He currently directs programs in clinical and abnormal psychology and undertakes research into child sleep disorders and the impact of stress and fatigue in the workplace. In addition, Associate Professor Lushington is a past recipient of the Chancellor's Award for Community Engagement at the University of South Australia, a prize granted to outstanding scholars who have helped forge strong research partnerships with local businesses and industry.
Associate Professor Lushington has previously published on the relationship between eczema, obesity, sleep deprivation and parental attitudes towards sleep on sleep disorders and daytime functioning in school-aged children. With his team at the Children's Research Centre, Associate Professor Lushington is currently investigating the impact of Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB) on infant development, and the changes to neurocognitive function in children who have been treated for SDB through adenotonsillectomy.
