Conor S. O’Brien Senior Project Manager Harvard Work Hours, Health and Safety Group Sleep Health Institute Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders Departments of Medicine and Neurology Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Investigators • Charles A. Czeisler, PhD, MD • Stuart Quan, MD • Laura K. Barger, PhD • Matt Weaver, PhD
Research Staff • Conor O’Brien, Sr. Project Manager • Salim Qadri, Programmer • Natalie Viyaran, Research Assistant
Sleep Health Institute
Conducts large scale field research programs which include sleep health education and sleep disorders screening in
occupational settings
Previous groups worked with include: Firefighters, Police, Astronauts, Air Marshals, College Students and Physicians.
My Personal Story
In 1997 I was a full time musician living in Maine and I was in need of extra money. I applied to participate in a month long inpatient sleep research study at BWH.
Photo by Bob Sasha National Geographic Magazine
Sleep Research Study at BWH
27 day research study looking at caffeine’s effect on alertness: Compensated $2500 to live in a time isolated
environment for 4 weeks No contact with the outside world
No phone, TV or radio use
No email or visitors
Lived on a 42 hour day Awake in dim light for 29 hours In bed in the dark for 14 hours each day cycle 24/7 IV catheter, scalp and face electrodes
Challenges for Research Subjects
Financial burden and inconvenience Travel Costs (gas, parking and tolls) Work coverage for time missed Child care / elder care Multiple visits for unpaid screening tests Fear / Psychosocial Consequences Confidentiality Stress on family Concern for time away
Healthy Research Subjects
Reasons for participation:
Financial benefit Altruism Benefit science in general Impact specific diseases A general want to give back to society
May provide an opportunity for a novel experience
Can provide the participant with insight into their personal health
Overview of the Current Range of
Healthy Research Payments
Outpatient Studies Often give $5- $30 gift cards per online survey
completed More extensive studies pay up to $800 per
month for completing daily diaries and for use of multiple wearable devices and study visits
24/7 - Inpatient Studies Pay $200- $300 per day depending on the
level of burden on the participant One current 37-day study pays $10,125
Some studies of healthy subjects are
deceivingly difficult to recruit for The nature of needing healthy subjects can
in fact be the difficult component in studies of older adults
There are very few healthy older adults who
can pass the screening criteria Most 50 y/o and over who complete lengthy
inpatient studies don’t have full time jobs
Are the rates acceptable?
Outpatient Studies?
Inpatient Studies?