Kenneth P. Wright Jr PhD

Dr. Wright is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. He received his Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from Bowling Green State University. Dr. Wright performed his postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and was a faculty member in their Division of Sleep Medicine before moving to the University of Colorado in 2002.

Dr. Wright’s research is aimed at understanding the neurophysiology of sleep-wake homeostasis and the internal circadian clock and applying that knowledge to improve public health and safety. His work has examined how the internal circadian clock and sleep-wake homeostasis interact to regulate neurobehavioral alertness, fatigue, memory, learning, mood and vigilance performance, and neuroendocrine and thermoregulatory physiology. Current research is aimed at understanding the influence of inadequate sleep on human performance and health with a component aimed at the development of countermeasures to promote optimal sleep and wakefulness in a variety of circumstances in which circadian misalignment and sleep deprivation occur (e.g., shift work, jet lag, insufficient sleep, sustained and continuous work operations, space missions).