Allan I. Pack, M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D., FRCP
John Miclot Professor
Department: Medicine
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Translational Research Laboratories
125 South 31st Street, Suite 2100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
125 South 31st Street, Suite 2100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403
Office: 215-746-4806
Fax: 215-746-4814
Fax: 215-746-4814
Email:
PACK@PENNMEDICINE.UPENN.EDU
PACK@PENNMEDICINE.UPENN.EDU
Publications
Education:
M.B.Ch.B
University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1967.
Ph.D. (Mathematical models of lung function)
University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1976.
Permanent linkM.B.Ch.B
University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1967.
Ph.D. (Mathematical models of lung function)
University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1976.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Pack is pursuing research on genetics/genomics of sleep and its disorders. His laboratory is conducting studies in Drosophila and mice and translating these findings to humans. A particular focus of Dr. Pack’s work is to evaluate the genetic determinants of sleep homeostasis. Studies are ongoing to evaluate molecular mechanisms of sleepiness and sleep promotion using both hypothesis-driven and discovery science. The latter involves analysis of the changes in the transcription with sleep/wake and sleep deprivation in identified neuronal populations. Techniques being used include behavioral/sleep studies in Drosophila and mice, RT-PCR, Western analysis of protein, expression profiling, laser microcapture dissection, RNA seq and immunohistochemistry. Dr. Pack is committed to research training and directs three training grants from the National Institutes of Health.Description of Clinical Expertise
Dr. Pack's clinical expertise is in sleep disorders with a particular focus on diagnosis and management of obstructive sleep apnea. He is internationally recognized for his expertise in this area and has been listed in the Best Doctor's in the United States and in the Philadelphia region (Philadelphia Magazine).Selected Publications
Finnsson, E., Arnardottir, E., Montazeri, K., Keenan, B. T., Schwab, R. J., Gislason, T., Pack, A. I., Wellman, A., Islind, A. S., Agustsson, J. S., & Sands, S. A.: Respiratory inductance plethysmography to quantify changes in ventilation in obstructive sleep apnea. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering October 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1109/TBME.2025.3618403.Keenan, B. T., Strus, E., Lin, R., Chan, M., Lian, J., Galante, R., Worley, P., Pack, A. I., & Naidoo, N.: Mutant mouse models implicate a role for mGluR1/5, prolyl isomerase (Pin1) and Homer1a interactions in wakefulness. Frontiers in Neuroscience 19: 1572258, September 2025 Notes: doi: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1572258.
Kurniansyah, N., Strausz, S. J., Chittoor, G., Gupta, S., Justice, A. E., Hrytsenko, Y., Keenan, B. T., Cade, B. E., Spitzer, B. W., Wang, H., Huffman, J., Moll, M. R., Haring, B., Jung, S. Y., Raffield, L. M., Kaplan, R., Rotter, J. I., Rich, S. S., Gharib, S. A., Bartz, T. M., Liu, P.Y., Chen, H., Fornage, M., Hou, L., Levy, D., Morrison, A.C., Ochs-Balcom, H.M., Psaty, B.M., Wilson, P.W.F., Cho, K., Pack, A.I., Ollila, H.M., Redline, S., Gottlieb, D.J., Sofer, T.: Polygenic scores for obstructive sleep apnoea reveal pathways. EBioMedicine 117: 105790, July 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105790.
Imamura, T., Wasilczuk, A. Z., Reitz, S. L., Lian, J., Imamura, M., Keenan, B. T., Shimizu, N., Pack, A. I., & Kelz, M. B.: Parafacial GABAergic neurone ablation induces behavioural resistance to volatile anaesthetic-induced hypnosis without reducing sleep. British journal of anaesthesia 134(6): 1696-1708, June 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1016/j.bja.2025.02.035.
Xu, L., Keenan, B. T., Wiemken, A. S., Staley, B., Benediktsdottir, B., Juliusson, S., Pack, A. I., Gislason, T., & Schwab, R. J. : The relationship between upper airway anatomy and obesity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Annals of the American Thoracic Society 22(11): 1749–1763, June 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1513/AnnalsATS.202410-1027OC.
Lee, R., Larson, O., Dhaliwal, S., Moon, K., Gerardy, B., de Chazal, P., Cistulli, P. A., Chen, N. H., Han, F., Li, Q. Y., Maislin, G., McArdle, N., Penzel, T., Schwab, R. J., Tufik, S., Magalang, U. J., Singh, B., Gislason, T., Pack, A. I., Keenan, B. T., Younes, M., Gehrman, P.: Comparative analysis of sleep physiology using qualitative and quantitative criteria for insomnia symptoms. Sleep 48(3): zsae301, March 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsae301.
Mazzotti, D. R., Magalang, U. J., Keenan, B. T., Mindel, J., Younes, M., Penzel, T., Pack, A. I., & de Chazal, P.: OSA symptom subtypes and hypoxic burden independently predict distinct cardiovascular outcomes. ERJ open research 11(1): 00511-2024, February 2025 Notes: doi: 10.1183/23120541.00511-2024.
Kneeland, E., Ali, N., Maislin, D. G., Chang, Y. H., Epelboim, J., Keenan, B. T., & Pack, A. I.: Achieving adherence to positive airway pressure in commercial drivers using an employer-mandated remote management programme. ERJ Open Research 10(6): 00132-2024, November 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1183/23120541.00132-2024.
Sonti, S., Littleton, S.H., Pahl, M.C., Zimmerman, A.J., Chesi, A. Palermo, J., Lascni, C., Brown, E.B., Pippin, J.A., Wells, A.D., Doldur-Balli F., Pack, A.I., Gehrman, P.R., Keene, A.C., and Grant, S.F.A.: Perturbation of the insomnia WDR90 GWAS locus pinpoints rs3752495 as a causal variant influencing distal expression of neighboring gene, PIG-Q. Sleep 47(7): zsae085, July 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1093/sleep/zsae085.
Xu, L., Yi, H., Pi, M., Zhang, C., Keenan, B.T., Glick, H.A., Dong, X., Pack, A.I., Han, F., and Kuna, S.T.: Telemedicine management of obstructive sleep apnea disorder in China: a randomized, controlled, non-inferiority trial. Sleep and Breathing 28(3): 1173–1185, June 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11325-024-02994-6.