Top of page

Student/Staff Portal
Global Site Navigation

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Local Section Navigation
You are here: Main Content
  • Dr Aisling Smyth

    Dr Aisling Smyth

Related Contents

  • See Also
  • Research Gate Profile
    https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Aisling_Smyth
  • Research Gate Profile
  • Twitter
    https://twitter.com/SleepySmyth
  • Twitter
  • Google Scholar
    https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=rZJNaJUAAAAJ&hl=en
  • Google Scholar

Associate Professor Aisling Smyth

Dr Aisling Smyth is an Adjunct Associate Professor and Research Scholar specialising anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology. Aisling  supervises HDR students within the School of Nursing & Midwifery and her research interests are centred on investigating the role of sleep in health and disease.

Professional Associations

  • Sigma Theta Tau International
  • Australian Association of Gerontology

Awards and Recognition

  • 2020: Sigma Theta Tau: Emerging Nurse Leader
  • 2020: Emerging Researchers in Ageing (ERA) bursary for the 53rd Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) Conference
  • 2018: ECU SNM Excellence in Teaching award
  • ECU Athena SWAN Advancement Scheme (Kickstart Science Prize)
  • 2015: ECU Faculty grant recipient.

Research Areas and Interests

  • Sleep in Health and Disease

Aisling's research portfolio is dedicated to investigating the role of sleep in health and disease. She has researched the impact of sleep in a variety of populations and in regards to a variety of chronic conditions including sleep in caregiving, the impact of sleep in diabetes and sleep in the clinical setting. Aisling is co-founder of the ECU Collaborative Sleep Research Group. She supervises a number of M.Sc and PhD students.

Other publications

  • Smyth, A. (2016). Adjuvant corticosteroid therapy for acute bacterial meningitis. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 116(10), 63. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000503309.83251.e4
  • McMorrow JP., Crean, D., Gogarty, M.,Smyth, A., Connolly, M., Cummins, E., Veale, D., Fearon, U., Tak, P., Fitzgerald, O., Murphy, E., (2013),Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibition Modulates Thrombospondin-1 Expression in Human Inflammatory Joint Disease through Altered NR4A2 Activity.The American Journal of Pathology,183(4),1243-1257
  • Mix, KS., McMahon, K., McMorrow, JP., Walkenhorst, DE.,Smyth, A., Petrella, B., Gogarty, M., Fearon, U., Veale, D., Attur, MG., Abramson, SB., Murphy, EP., (2012),Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A2 Induces Synoviocyte Proliferation, Invasion, and Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 Transcription.Arthritis and Rheumatism,64(7),2126-2136,United States, DOI: 10.1002/art.34399.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Veterinary Medicine), Ireland, 2015.
  • Master of Science, Biomedical Science, Northern Ireland, 2010.
  • Bachelor of Science Third Class Honours General Nursing, Ireland, 2008.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • McPhillips, MV., Petrovsky, DV., Lorenz, R., Lee, J., George, T., Heavey, A., Bubu, OM., Brewster, GS. (2024). Treatment Modalities for Insomnia in Adults Aged 55 and Older: A Systematic Review of Literature from 2018 to 2023. Current Sleep Medicine Reports, 10(2), 232-256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40675-024-00285-w.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Mosavat, M., Mitsanjari, M., Arabiat, D., Heavey, A., Whitehead, L. (2021). The Role of Sleep Curtailment on Leptin Levels in Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus. Obesity Facts: the European journal of obesity, 14(2), 214 - 221. https://doi.org/10.1159/000514095.
  • Mosavat, M., Arabiat, D., Heavey, A., Newnham, J., Whitehead, L. (2021). Second-trimester maternal serum vitamin D and pregnancy outcome: The Western Australian Raine cohort study. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 175(May 2021), Article number 108779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108779.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Mosavat, M., Heavey, A., Arabiat, D., Whitehead, L. (2020). Vitamin D and sleep duration: Is there a bidirectional relationship?. Hormone Molecular Biology and Clinical Investigation, 41(4), Article Number 20200025. https://doi.org/10.1515/hmbci-2020-0025.
  • Heavey, A., Whitehead, L., Quigley, E., Vafeas, C., Emery, L. (2020). Disrupted sleep and associated factors in Australian dementia caregivers: a cross sectional study. BMC Geriatrics, 20(1), Article number 312. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-020-01726-1.
  • Heavey, A., Jenkins, M., Dunham, M., Kutzer, Y., Taheri, S., Whitehead, L. (2020). Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines to identify recommendations for sleep in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 170(December 2020), Article number 108532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2020.108532.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Heavey, A., Gogarty, M., Crean, D., Murphy, E. (2019). Subcellular Localization of NR4A2 Orphan Nuclear Receptor Expression in Human and Mouse Synovial Joint Tissue. Methods in Molecular Biology, 1966(2019), 17-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9195-2_3.

2016

Journal Articles

  • Cope, V., Sundin, D., Heavey, A., Wang, C., Baum, G., Ewens, B., Foxall, F. (2016). The hidden benefits of writing retreats: Academic development and social interaction for nurses. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 6(11), 73-79. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v6n11p73.
  • Ewens, B., Geale, S., Vafeas, C., Foxall, F., Loessl, B., Heavey, A., McCafferty, C. (2016). Humanising the curriculum: The role of a Virtual World. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 6(12), 80-88. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v6n12p80.

2013

Journal Articles

  • McMorrow, JP., Crean, D., Gogarty, M., Heavey, A., Connolly, M., Cummins, E., Veale, D., Fearon, U., Tak, P., Fitzgerald, O., Murphy, E. (2013). Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibition Modulates Thrombospondin-1 Expression in Human Inflammatory Joint Disease through Altered NR4A2 Activity. The American Journal of Pathology, 183(4), 1243-1257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.06.029.

2012

Journal Articles

  • Mix, KS., McMahon, K., McMorrow, JP., Walkenhorst, DE., Heavey, A., Petrella, B., Gogarty, M., Fearon, U., Veale, D., Attur, MG., Abramson, SB., Murphy, EP. (2012). Orphan Nuclear Receptor NR4A2 Induces Synoviocyte Proliferation, Invasion, and Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 Transcription. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 64(7), 2126-2136. https://doi.org/10.1002/art.34399.

Research Projects

  • Developing a sleep intervention for caregivers of people living with dementia, Australian Association of Gerontology, AAG - R M Gibson Scientific Research Fund, 2020 ‑ 2023, $6,364.
  • Expanding the evidence base for early dementia intervention programs, Edith Cowan University, ECU Industry Engagement Grant, 2019 ‑ 2021, $45,052.
  • Is altered glucose homeostasis correlated with disrupted sleep among dementia carers?, Edith Cowan University, ECU Early Career Researcher Grant - 2018, 2018 ‑ 2020, $30,000.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

No data available

Completed Supervisions

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The role of sleep duration and quality in vitamin D metabolism and their assocition with glucose homeostasis in pregnancy
Skip to top of page