Sleep, Cognition, and the Bidirectional Brain, With Michael Scullin, PhD

Michael Scullin, PhD, discussed his sleep neuroscience research program at Baylor University and a public education initiative designed to improve general awareness of sleep health.

Scullin described the Sleep Lab exhibit, a permanent installation at the Mayborn Museum in Waco, Texas, developed in collaboration with museum staff and contractors.¹ The exhibit comprises 5 interactive fixtures addressing sleep apnea and continuous positive airway pressure therapy, the neuroanatomy of circadian rhythm regulation and dreaming, and practical sleep hygiene recommendations for visitors to implement. Scullin emphasized that public engagement with sleep science is highly rewarding precisely because sleep is a universal experience that most people take for granted, and that educating audiences about what occurs neurologically and physiologically during sleep generates genuine fascination.

Scullin serves as principal investigator of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory at Baylor University, where his team uses polysomnography—including scalp electroencephalography and additional physiological measures—to characterize sleeping brain activity and relate it to daytime functioning across domains including learning, cognition, emotional processing, and decision-making. He summarized the consistent finding that better sleep is associated with improved waking function across multiple domains.

A key conceptual point Scullin emphasized was the bidirectional relationship between sleep and waking function.² Using stress as an illustrative example, he noted that while stress is widely recognized as a disruptor of sleep, the reciprocal effect—that poor sleep amplifies the perception and dysregulation of stress the following day—is frequently underappreciated. He argued that clinical approaches targeting both sleep and waking stressors simultaneously, rather than addressing either in isolation, are likely to yield superior outcomes for patients and providers alike.

Dr Scullin is professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University and principal investigator of the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory. He is an awardee of the Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award.

References

1. The Mayborn celebrates Dr Michael Scullin as a recipient of the 2026 Mary A. Carskadon Outstanding Educator Award. February 25, 2026. Accessed June 15, 2026. https://mayborn.web.baylor.edu/news/story/2026/mayborn-celebrates-dr-michael-scullin-recipient-2026-mary-carskadon-outstanding

2. Liu J, Magielski J, Glenn A, et al. The bidirectional relationship between sleep and externalizing behavior: a systematic review. Sleep Epidemiol. 2022;2:100039.