TL1 Predoctoral Trainee Matt Gratton, University of Kansas

By Kelly Hale , Marketing & Communications Specialist

Jan 13, 2026

Project Title: A Multidimensional Measure of Arousability in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Project Summary: Sleep-disorder research and diagnostic criteria have historically been derived from male samples, which may miss how women often present with subtler airway obstruction. Additionally, non-respiratory and autonomic arousal patterns still contribute to substantial daytime impairment and cardiometabolic risk, even when traditional measures appear “mild.” Because arousability from sleep is multidimensional (respiratory, neurological, autonomic, movement) and varies by sex, more sensitive composite metrics (e.g., wake intrusions/WII) are needed to capture women’s actual disease burden and improve equitable diagnosis and risk stratification.

Mentors: Nancy Hamilton, Ph.D., Diego Mazzotti, Ph.D., Damien Stevens, M.D.

Matt Gratton, a clinical psychology candidate, found sleep research as a second career after a situation left him with recurrent nightmares. What started as an effort to understand his own sleep evolved into a career focused on the psychology of sleep, arousal, and behavioral medicine.

“It was really interesting because researchers are looking at sleep in a lot of different ways, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of conversation bringing all of these types of research together,” said Gratton, whose first career was as a cook but had always had an interest in academia. “So that’s also what sort of got me interested in the clinical side because I wanted to define better the biomarkers that characterize sleep in a more translatable way across specialties.”

Before beginning his current work, Gratton taught himself to code because he sought a career with greater community impact and was already considering a future in medicine.

“I started working in medical informatics, which I loved. I love databases,” he said. “That’s how I started working with sleep physicians and got recruited here by doctors Diego Mazzotti and Nancy Hamilton.”

Driven by his personal experience, Gratton can empathize with participants experiencing sleep issues, but he also recognizes that everyone’s experience is different and can have unique impacts on their health.

“I think one of the things that I bring to the table is I feel like I’m a creative person and can sometimes make connections that maybe others aren’t making simply because I’m bringing that different perspective to the research,” he said.

As he continues his studies, Gratton is taking advantage of his time in the TL1 program to obtain the additional training he needs to advance his career.

“When I first considered the TL1 program, I reached out to doctors Sosnoff and Zink, and they were so helpful. They asked me what type of training I needed, where I would need help, things like that, if I were selected for the program,” he said. “It showed they want me to succeed and learn as much as I can so I can continue my research career and hopefully get grant funding in the future.”

Gratton has also found the Frontiers Scholars Club beneficial, as it allows him to learn from scholars in other disciplines.

“It’s been great to hear their approaches, but it’s also really helped me develop my own elevator pitch about my research,” he said. “This has helped me focus on what my methods were in my pitch, and at the same time, I am building a community. The other scholars have been so supportive.

I am the sleep guy now.”