Sophie Carter

RESEARCHER PROFILE

PhD Student


Sophie Carter is working with the NeuRA Sleep and Breathing research team. She previously studied a Bachelor of Science focusing on human anatomy. Sophie’s PhD research project is focused on the effect of the common sleeping pill zopiclone on obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) severity and symptoms. Sophie’s project will contribute to furthering the understanding of the underlying causes of OSA, and developing new & improved methods for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA.

RESEARCH TEAM

Jason Amatoury

DR JASON AMATOURY Postdoctoral Fellow : +61 2 9399 1834
: j.amatoury@neura.edu.au

HANNA HENSEN PhD student

DR PETER BURKE Postdoctoral fellow

RICHARD LIM Honours student

DR AHMAD BAMAGOOS PhD student

DR CHINH NGUYEN NeuroSleep NHMRC CRE Postdoctoral Fellow

AMAL OSMAN PhD student

Rodrigo Martins

DR RODRIGO TOMAZINI MARTINS PhD Student : +612 9399 1834
: r.martins@neura.edu.au

Ben Tong

BENJAMIN TONG Sleep Lab Manager : 9399 1886
: sleeplab@neura.edu.au

DR NIRU WIJESURIYA Postdoctoral Fellow

Jayne Carberry

DR JAYNE CARBERRY NeuroSleep NHMRC CRE Postdoctoral Fellow

SUPERVISORS

PROF DANNY ECKERT Principal Research Scientist, NeuRA Associate Professor, UNSW R.D. Wright Fellow, NHMRC

Further information about Sophie Carter

RELATED INFORMATION

Awards/Prizes

2014                Best Student Oral Presentation on SDB, Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand

2015                Finalist in New Investigator Award plenary session, Australasian Sleep Association

2016                Finalist in New Investigator Award plenary session, Australasian Sleep Association

2016                International Travel Award, Australasian Sleep Association Annual Scientific Conference

2017                International Abstract Scholarship, Assembly on Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology

Published Abstracts

Carter SG, Carberry JC, Cho G, Fisher LP, Rollo CM, Stevens D, D’Rozario A, McKenzie DK, Grunstein RR, Eckert DJ (2017). ‘The Role of Nightly Zopiclone on Obstructive Sleep Apnea Severity and Symptoms in People with Low to Moderate Respiratory Arousal Thresholds: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.’ Sleep 40(1): A207

Carter SG, Carberry JC, Cho G, Fisher LP, Rollo CM, Stevens D, D’Rozario A, McKenzie DK, Grunstein RR, Eckert DJ (2016). ‘Effects of 1 Month of Nightly Zopiclone on Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Severity and Measures of Alertness: A Randomised Controlled Trial.’ Journal of Sleep Research 25: 5

Carter SG, Berger MS, Carberry JC, Bilston LE, Butler JE, Tong BK, Martins RT, Fisher LP, McKenzie DK, Grunstein RR, Eckert DJ (2015). ‘Zopiclone Increases the Arousal Threshold without Impairing Genioglossus Muscle Activity in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.’ Sleep and Biological Rhythms 13(1): 2

Carberry JC, Fisher LP, Carter SC, Rollo CM, Butler JE, McKenzie DK, Eckert DJ (2015). ‘Respiratory Sensation During Wakefulness is Related to the Respiratory Arousal Threshold During Sleep in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea.’ Sleep and Biological Rhythms 13(1): 5

PUBLICATIONS

Zopiclone Increases the Arousal Threshold without Impairing Genioglossus Activity in Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Carter SG, Berger MS, Carberry JC, Bilston LE, Butler JE, Tong BK, Martins RT, Fisher LP, McKenzie DK, Grunstein RR, Eckert DJ
Sleep. 2016 Apr;39(4):757-66. doi: 26715227. Epub 2015 Dec.

To determine the effects of the nonbenzodiazepine sedative zopiclone on the threshold to arousal with increasing respiratory effort and genioglossus muscle activity and to examine potential physiological factors mediating disparate effects of zopiclone on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) severity between patients. In a group of patients with predominantly severe OSA, zopiclone increased the arousal threshold without reducing genioglossus muscle activity or its responsiveness to negative pharyngeal pressure. These properties may be beneficial in some patients with OSA with certain pathophysiological characteristics but may worsen hypoxemia in others.