PAEDIATRICS (symposium session): From bench to bedside: advances in child sleep and development
Tracks
Track 1
| Friday, November 13, 2026 |
| 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM |
Details
Discover the latest breakthroughs linking foundational sleep science to real world clinical impact. This session brings together leading researchers and clinicians to explore how early-life sleep shapes children’s health, behaviour, and development. Hear cutting edge findings from an animal model of autism spectrum disorder demonstrating how REM sleep in infancy plays a crucial role in shaping later social behaviour. We will also unpack how daily environments, particularly light exposure and sleep settings, directly influence children’s sleep and development. Finally, we will gain clinical insights into sleep challenges faced by children and families with neurodevelopmental disorders, including emerging approaches to assessment and care.
Designed for researchers, clinicians, and allied health professionals, this session offers a unique, integrative view of child sleep across biology, community, and clinical practice. Join us to connect science with solutions that improve children’s lives.
Speaker
Dr Simon Smith
Professorial Research Fellow
University of Queensland
Chair and introduction
3:15 PM - 3:20 PMBiography
Prof Miranda Lim
Professor
Oregon Health and Science University
Early life sleep shapes brain development and social behavior in the monogamous prairie vole
3:20 PM - 3:40 PMBiography
Dr. Miranda Lim is Professor in the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University and holds a joint appointment at the Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System. She has served as MPI and director of the Oregon Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (NIH P30 Center) and Associate Director of VA's Advanced Fellowship in Mental Illness Research and Treatment (MIRT) for VA's VISN20 Northwest Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC). Dr. Lim is a physician-scientist board-certified in Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and leads a combined basic, translational, and clinical research program, Sleep & Health Applied Research Program (SHARP).
Assoc Prof Sally Staton
Associate Professor
University of Queensland
Examining developmental trajectories in early sleep patterns
3:40 PM - 4:00 PMBiography
Associate Professor Sally Staton is an applied developmental scientist and ARC Mid-Career Industry Fellow at The University of Queensland's Child Health Research Centre. She leads the Brain Health and Early Development Research Group, where her research examines how early life experiences, environments, and systems influence children's sleep, development, and wellbeing. Sally has led several large-scale studies investigating sleep across early childhood, including the STARs longitudinal study of children aged 1 to 5 years. Working in partnership with educators, policymakers, health professionals, and communities, she translates research into policy and practice to improve outcomes for children, families, and the systems that support them.
Dr Cassandra Pattinson
Senior Research Fellow
University of Queensland
Examining in-situ light environments on child sleep and outcomes
4:00 PM - 4:20 PMBiography
Dr Cassandra Pattinson is a Senior Research Fellow and ARC DECRA Fellow. She is a Research Leader within the Community Sleep Health Group in the University of Queensland's Child Health Research Centre. Her research examines how light exposure, digital technology and sleep shape children's health and development. She is committed to translating sleep science into practical resources for families, educators and policymakers.
Dr Jasneek Chawla
Smo Paediatric Respiratory And Sleep Medicine
Children's Health Queensland
Sleep challenges in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and the impact on development and function
4:20 PM - 4:40 PMBiography
A/Professor Jasneek Chawla is an experienced Paediatric Respiratory and Sleep Medicine Specialist at Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane and a clinician researcher leading the Kids Sleep Research Group at the Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland. Her clinical and research interests include sleep in children with complex disability, other vulnerable populations and translating emerging paediatric sleep technologies for clinical practice. As the theme leader for Children and Disability within UQ’s Disability Collaboratory Group, Jas is a strong advocate for children with disability and works closely with many consumer representative organisations and individuals with lived experience in her work. Jas is the current president of the Australasian Sleep Association and is passionate about improving sleep for all Australians.
Prof Miranda Lim
Professor
Oregon Health and Science University
Chair
Biography
