Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Career to Date
Dr Tracey Sletten completed her PhD at the University of South Australia examining the effects of shift work and fatigue in the field operations of aviation and rail. Her primary research incorporated large-scale investigations of the sleep/wake behaviour and occupational fatigue of several hundred commercial flight crew working long-haul flight patterns from Australia. Further to research, Dr Sletten held a consultative role, conducting training and education, analysing work shifts and conducting fatigue assessments for numerous transportation and emergency services operations within Australia and internationally.
Between 2005 and 2008 Dr Sletten held a post-doctoral position with the Centre for Chronobiology at the University of Surrey (United Kingdom) where some of the groundbreaking work in circadian photoreception has been conducted. She examined the effectiveness of different wavelengths of light to improve alertness and mood and shift the phase of human circadian rhythms. During this period Dr Sletten was also a Visiting Fellow in Chronobiology and Sleep Research at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Dr Sletten has also held a Research Fellow position with the Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston.
Dr Sletten was the former Chair of the European Sleep Research Society Forum for Women in Sleep Research and co-Chair of the Australasian Sleep Association Chronobiology Council.
Research Focus
Dr Sletten’s current research focus is in the role of sleep and the circadian system on waking function. Core topics include the impact of sleep loss and circadian misalignment on sleepiness and neurobehavioural performance, phenotyping and treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, applications of lighting to enhance alertness, and the alertness and mental health outcomes associated with shiftwork. Dr Sletten has worked with numerous sectors employing shift workers including healthcare, heavy vehicle transport and international aviation. Dr Sletten has conducted large-scale field assessments of sleep, circadian phase, cognitive functioning and psychological health in expeditioners over-wintering in Antarctica.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Research area keywords
- Sleep
- Sleep loss
- Sleep deprivation
- Circadian rhythms
- Light
- Shift work
- Fatigue
- Sleep disorders
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Investigating the effects of Sleep eyewear in the evening on melatonin, alertness and nocturnal sleep
Sletten, T. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Wilson Rajaratnam, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Lockley, S. (Chief Investigator (CI))
5/09/24 → 1/05/25
Project: Research
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Optimising sleep, alertness and safety in shift work industries
Sletten, T. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI))
18/07/24 → 17/07/27
Project: Research
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Welcome Trust: An international task force to create adaptive bio-psycho-social and environmental models of sleep, circadian rhythms, and youth depression and anxiety across five continents
Lian, T. C. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bei, B. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Sletten, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Keng, S.-L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Abu Bakar, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Olivier, P. (Chief Investigator (CI))
10/04/24 → 10/04/29
Project: Research
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An international task force to create adaptive bio-psycho-social and environmental models of sleep, circadian rhythms, and youth depression and anxiety across five continents
Bei, B. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Sletten, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wilson Rajaratnam, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Raniti, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Olivier, P. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wiley, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Drummond, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jobson, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Keng, S.-L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Pretorius, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Padmanabhanunni, A. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Lekaota, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Foster, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Allen, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Czeisler, C. A. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Klerman, E. (Chief Investigator (CI))
10/04/24 → 9/04/29
Project: Research
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Zest – A personalised, digital intervention for sleep and wellbeing in Australian shift workers
Varma, P. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Murray, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Stone, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Booker, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Sletten, T. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Bei, B. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Postnova, S. D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), King, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), McNaney, R. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Wilson Rajaratnam, S. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Walker-Bone, K. (Associate Investigator (AI)), Phillips, A. (Associate Investigator (AI)) & Howard, M. E. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/02/23 → 31/01/26
Project: Research
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A Protocol to Determine Circadian Phase by At-Home Salivary Dim Light Melatonin Onset Assessment
Murray, J. M., Stone, J. E., Abbott, S. M., Bjorvatn, B., Burgess, H. J., Cajochen, C., Dekker, J. J., Duffy, J. F., Epstein, L. J., Garbazza, C., Harsh, J., Klerman, E. B., Lane, J. M., Lockley, S. W., Pavlova, M. K., Quan, S. F., Reid, K. J., Scheer, F. A. J. L., Sletten, T. L. & Wright, K. P. & 5 others, , Aug 2024, In: Journal of Pineal Research. 76, 5, 12 p., e12994.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access7 Citations (Scopus) -
Assessment and management of sleep disorders in shift workers: Challenges and considerations for general practice
Reynolds, A. C., Lovato, N., Sletten, T. L., Ferguson, S. A., Katahanas, L., Rajaratnam, S. M. & Adams, R. J., Jun 2024, In: Australian Journal of General Practice. 53, 6, p. 389-393 5 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Other › peer-review
Open Access -
Circadian adaptation to night shift work is associated with higher REM sleep duration
Zimberg, I. Z., Ftouni, S., Magee, M., Ferguson, S. A., Lockley, S. W., Rajaratnam, S. M. W. & Sletten, T. L., Feb 2024, In: Sleep Health. 10, S1, p. S112-S120 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
Current sleep interventions for shift workers: a mini review to shape a new preventative, multicomponent sleep management programme
Tout, A. F., Tang, N. K. Y., Sletten, T. L., Toro, C. T., Kershaw, C., Meyer, C., Rajaratnam, S. M. W. & Moukhtarian, T. R., 2024, In: Frontiers in Sleep. 3, 7 p., 1343393.Research output: Contribution to journal › Short Review › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus) -
European NCAP Driver State Monitoring Protocols: Prevalence of Distraction in Naturalistic Driving
Mulhall, M. (Leading Author), Wilson, K., Yang, S., Kuo, J., Sletten, T., Anderson, C., Howard, M. E., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Magee, M., Collins, A. L. & Lenne, M. G., Sept 2024, In: Human Factors. 66, 9, p. 2205-2217 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
5 Citations (Scopus)
Prizes
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Australasian Sleep Association Helen Bearpark Scholarship
Sletten, T. (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Australian Research Council Industry Fellowship
Sletten, T. (Recipient), 2023
Prize: Competitive Fellowships
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Frontiers in Physiology (Journal)
Sletten, T. (Associate editor)
2022 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Frontiers in Neuroscience (Journal)
Sletten, T. (Editorial board member)
2022 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Journal of Pineal Research (Journal)
Sletten, T. (Editorial board member)
2019 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Frontiers in Physiology (Journal)
Sletten, T. (Editorial board member)
2018 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Sleep Association 2016
Sletten, T. (Organiser)
20 Oct 2016 → 22 Oct 2016Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
Press/Media
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World-first app to save shift workers from sleep deprivation
24/04/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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ABC Radio National: New app aims to help shift workers sleep
24/04/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Profile/Interview
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BBC World Service: What does flying do to my body?
7/04/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Shift work and sleep with Dr Tracey Sletten
19/01/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Blogs, Podcasts and Social Media › Podcasts
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CNN: London to Sydney flight breaks world record
15/11/19
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature