OUR TEAM
CHRISTOPHER DEPNER PHD
Principle Investigator
Dr. Depner completed his PhD in Human Nutrition at Oregon State University followed by postdoctoral work in sleep and circadian physiology under the guidance of Dr. Kenneth Wright at the University of Colorado Boulder. While in these positions Dr. Depner developed expertise in nutritional biochemistry, metabolomics, and human clinical translational sleep and circadian studies. Dr. Depner's research program integrates his background and training to conduct rigorous human clinical translational sleep and circadian protocols to understand how the interactions between sleep and circadian physiology and nutrition contribute to metabolic health.
AUDREY STEGMAN
Research Assistant
I started working for the lab in December 2020 after graduating from the University of Utah where I majored in Kinesiology and minored in Modern dance, Chemistry, and Pediatric Clinical research.
MISIA KUBICKI
PhD Student
Misia’s interest in sleep research began when she began working as an undergraduate volunteer at the University of Colorado Boulder Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory in 2018. After graduating in 2020 with a B.A. in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and spending some time working as a professional research assistant at the lab, she is excited to pursue a Ph.D. in the field. Her research interests include molecular biomarkers associated with sleep activity and effects of sleep and circadian misalignment on human metabolism.
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GRACE ZIMMERMAN
PhD Student
Grace started working in the Sleep and Circadian Rhythm lab in 2021 as a Graduate Research Assistant. Her undergraduate and masters work included research in exercise and nutrition working with various populations from athletes to individuals with metabolic disorders. As a current PhD student, her research includes evaluating the impact of sleep duration on energy intake, energy expenditure and overall human metabolism.
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JOSHUA CHANG
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I joined the Depner Lab in September of 2020. I'm currently a Sophomore majoring in Biology with an emphasis in Neurobiology, and my most recent UROP project was on the cognitive impact of subjective and objective sleepiness. I hope to further investigate interindividual susceptibilities to sleep loss in the future. I mostly focus on the cognitive aspects of the lab but help out the lab overall. I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, soccer, and spending time with family and friends in my spare time!
Josh has been funded through the UROP program at University of Utah to conduct his undergraduate research project.
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TORI MIRANDA
Study Coordinator
My name is Tori Miranda and I am a study coordinator for the Health and Kinesiology Department at the University of Utah working with both Dr. Chris Depner and Dr. Tanya Halliday. I joined the team in June 2022 after previously working as a study coordinator in Kinesiology at the University of Michigan and University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). I received my bachelor’s in Exercise Science at Salisbury University, my master’s in Kinesiology at UIC, and am an ACSM certified Exercise Physiologist. My research interests include using practical lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and diet, as a means to improve one’s healthspan. In my spare time, I enjoy chasing around my daughter and my dogs and playing in the mountains.
TYLER MARSHALL
Study Coordinator
My name is Tyler Marshall and I am a Study Coordinator in the Sleep and Circadian Physiology Lab. I joined the lab in August 2023 after working as a Study Coordinator at the University of Vermont on Cystic Fibrosis research studies. I graduated from the University of Vermont in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. In my free time, I enjoy mountain biking, running, skiing, and hiking.
JAXSON ELGGREN
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am a student at the University of Utah studying medicine and majoring in Health and Kinesiology with a minor in Psychology. I am a member of the University’s competitive climbing team. I joined the Sleep and Physiology Lab in 2020 as a Sophomore through the UROP program where I researched the effects of insufficient sleep on metabolism and timing of caloric intake.
Jaxson has been funded through the UROP program at University of Utah to conduct his undergraduate research project.
HAILEE FELL
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I am majoring in biology with a minor in Chemistry and Spanish. I recently joined the sleep lab during the summer of 2022. I want to learn more about how sleep (or no sleep) impacts our health and the neurological components of the body.
Hailee is funded through the LEAP program at University of Utah to conduct her undergraduate research project.
ALISHA CHONG
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hi, my name is Alisha! I am an undergraduate student at the University of Utah majoring in Biology. I joined the Sleep and Circadian Physiology Lab in the summer of 2021. I am interested in how increasing sleep duration may impact aspects of our health such as blood pressure and insulin sensitivity and am currently working towards completing an Honors Thesis on the subject. In my free time, I enjoy drawing and listening to music.
Alisha is funded through both the LEAP and UROP programs at the University of Utah to conduct her undergraduate research project.
SOPHIA LOOSE
Undergraduate Research Assistant
I joined the sleep lab as a freshman. I'm majoring in Biology with a minor in German. I'm interested in further understanding the effects of sleep deprecation on the body, and some of my roles include screening potential candidates.
DIANE GILES
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hi! My name is Diane, and I am currently a Biology major minoring in Chemistry and a pre-professional in Pharmacy. I joined the University of Utah Sleep and Physiology Lab the summer of 2022 through LEAP Health Sciences. I look forward to contributing towards the study as well as learning more about the effects of poor sleep and circadian misalignment. During my free time I love to go to the gym, shop, read, and spend time with my loved ones.
Diane is funded through the LEAP program at University of Utah to conduct her undergraduate research project.
ANNIE BOLGER
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hello! My name’s Annie and I joined the Sleep and Physiology Lab as a sophomore in December 2022. I am majoring in kinesiology at the U with the goal of becoming an athletic trainer. I love to learn about the human body and how it works, which is why I love working at this lab.
ELLY LAMONTE
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hello! My name is Elly and I joined the Sleep and Physiology Lab in December of 2022. I am a member of the Honors College and am majoring in kinesiology and hope to attend occupational therapy school after graduation. I believe sleep is an important aspect of our lives and I love learning more about the factors that affect it!
CHRIS DAVITT
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Hi, my name is Chris. I joined the Depner Lab in December of 2022 after returning from the Persian Gulf with the Navy. I am majoring in Health and Kinesiology with an emphasis on Emergency Medical Services. I hope to further my education and head to medical school to become a doctor in emergency medicine after graduating. I look forward to working with everyone in the lab and furthering our knowledge on sleep and circadian physiology.