Nalaka S. Gooneratne

faculty photo
Associate Professor of Medicine (Geriatrics) at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the Presbyterian Medical Center of Philadelphia and the Veteran's Administration Medical Center
Fellow, Institute on Aging (University of Pennsylvania)
Member, Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology (University of Pennsylvania)
Member, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics
Director, Masters of Translational Research - Entrepreneurial Science Track
Director, mHealth mobile app/device service (University of Pennsylvania Clinical and Translational Science Award)
Department: Medicine

Contact information
Ralston Penn Center, Room 220
3615 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215 662-7772 clinical
Fax: 215-573-8684 no clinical inf
Lab: 215-746-3098 no clinical calls
Education:
Cert. (French)
Ecole de Français Moderne, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland, 1989.
B.S. (Medical Education)
Northwestern University (Honors Program) (Graduated with Distinction), 1991.
M.D. (Medicine)
Northwestern University School of Medicine (Graduated with Distinction), 1993.
M.Sc. (Clinical Epidemiology)
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, 2002.
Post-Graduate Training
Intern in Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1993-1994.
Resident in Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1994-1996.
Fellow, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1996-1998.
Program in Patient-Oriented Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1997-1998.
Geriatric Clinical Epidemiology Fellowship, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 1998-2002.
Fellow, Sleep Disorders, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 1999-1999.
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Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests:

Aging, sleep, complementary/alternative medicine, melatonin, patient-oriented research, translational research, categorical data, clinical trials, multivariate analysis, time series.

Description of Research:

Dr. Gooneratne’s research interests are centered around studying the nature of sleep disorders in the elderly. While many older adults complain of difficulties with sleep, it is an area about which modern medicine has only a limited understanding. Funded initially by a National Institute on Aging Mentored Research Career Development Award (K23), he is pursuing research examining the role of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland, in sleep in the elderly and the effects of sleep apnea treatment on cognitive function in older adults. Dr.Gooneratne also runs a Sleep Disorders Clinic for Seniors in an effort to address the medical needs of older patients with sleep disorders. In addition, Dr. Gooneratne is the Associate Director of the Masters in Translational Research Program, with a focus on Entrepreneurial Science education at the University of Pennsylvania's ITMATEd program. He is the director of the mHealth mobile app development service at ITMAT (CTSA/Penn). He also helps to coordinate the research activities of the Geriatric fellows in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and mentors research fellows in the Division of Sleep Medicine.

Description of Other Expertise

Dr. Gooneratne has an interest in education and implementation of academic entrepreneurship in the life sciences. He currently teaches two classes in this area, and is the Director of the Entrepreneurship concentration in the Masters in Translational Research (MTR) Program.

Description of Itmat Expertise

Dr. Gooneratne is interested in geriatric sleep medicine, the pathophysiology of insomnia in the elderly, the role of melatonin abnormalities, cognitive beliefs and attitudes of older patients towards sleep disorders, and the evaluation and management of sleep apnea.

Selected Publications

Richards KC, Lozano AJ, Morris J, Moelter ST, Ji W, Vallabhaneni V, Wang Y, Chi L, Davis EM, Cheng C, Aguilar V, Khan S, Sankhavaram M, Hanlon AL, Wolk DA, Gooneratne N.: Predictors of Adherence to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in Older Adults With Apnea and Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 78: 1861-1870, Oct 2023.

McPhillips MV, Li J, Petrovsky DV, Brewster GS, Ward EJ 3rd, Hodgson N, Gooneratne NS: Assisted Relaxation Therapy for Insomnia in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study. Int J Aging Hum Dev 97(1): 65-80, July 2023.

McPhillips MV, Li J, Petrovsky DV, Gooneratne NS, Aryal S, Hodgson NA.: A randomized controlled trial to test a behavioral sleep intervention to improve insomnia symptoms in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: Multicomponent Behavioral Sleep Intervention (MBSI) protocol. Contemp Clin Trials Feb 2023.

Richards KC, Radhakrishnan K, Britt KC, Vanags-Louredo A, Park E, Gooneratne NS, Fry L: "Please Don't Forget Us": A Descriptive Qualitative Study of Caregivers of Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Res Gerontol Nurs 15(5): 217-228, Sep-Oct 2022.

Chang JL, Goldberg AN, Alt JA, Ashbrook L, Auckley D, Ayappa I, Bakhtiar H, Barrera JE, Bartley BL, Billings ME, Boon MS, Bosschieter P, Braverman I, Brodie K, Cabrera-Muffly C, Caesar R, Cahali MB, Cai Y, Cao M, Capasso R, Caples SM, Chahine LM, Chang CP, Chang KW, Chaudhary N, Cheong CSJ, Chowdhuri S, Cistulli PA, Claman D, Collen J, Coughlin K, Creamer J, Davis EM, Dupuy-McCauley KL, Durr ML, Dutt M, Ali ME, Elkassabany NM, Epstein LJ, Fiala JA, Freedman N, Gill K, Gillespie MB, Golisch L, Gooneratne N, Gottlieb DJ, Green KK, Gulati A, Gurubhagavatula I, Hayward N, Hoff PT, Hoffmann OMG, Holfinger SJ, Hsia J, Huntley C, Huoh KC, Huyett P, Inala S, Ishman S, Jella TK, Jobanputra AM, Johnson AP, Junna MR, Kado JT, Kaffenberger TM, Kapur VK, Kezirian EJ, Khan M, Kirsch DB, Kominsky A, Kryger M, Krystal AD, Kushida CA, Kuzniar TJ, Lam DJ, Lettieri CJ, Lim DC, Lin HC, Liu SYC, MacKay SG, Magalang UJ, Malhotra A, Maurer JT, May AM, Mitchell RB, Mokhlesi B, Mullins AE, Nada EM, Naik S, Nokes B, Olson MD, Pack AI, Pang EB, Pang KP, Patil SP, de Perck EV, Piccirillo JF, Pien GW, Piper AJ, Plawecki A, Quigg M, Ravesloot MJL, Redline S, Rotenberg BW, Ryden A, Sarmiento KF, Sbeih F, Schell AE, Schmickl CN, Schotland HM, Schwab RJ, Seo J, Shah N, Shelgikar AV, Shochat I, Soose RJ, Steele TO, Stephens E, Stepnowsky C, Strohl KP, Sutherland K, Suurna MV, Thaler E, Thapa S, Vanderveken OM, de Vries N, Weaver EM, Weir ID, Wolfe LF, Woodson BT, Won CHJ, Xu J, Yalamanchi P, Yaremchuk K, Yeghiazarians Y, Yu JL, Zeidler M, Rosen IM: International consensus statement on obstructive sleep apnea. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol Sept 2022.

Britt KC, Richards KC, Radhakrishnan K, Vanags-Louredo A, Park E, Gooneratne NS, Fry L: Religion, Spirituality, and Coping During the Pandemic: Perspectives of Dementia Caregivers. Clin Nurs Res Jul 2022.

Li J, Vitiello MV, Gooneratne NS. : Sleep in Normal Aging. Sleep Med Clin. 2022 Jun;17(2):161-171. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2022.02.007. 17(2): 161-171, June 2022.

Elkhatib Smidt SD, Gooneratne N, Brodkin ES, Bucan M, Mitchell JA: Sufficient sleep duration in autistic children and the role of physical activity. Autism 26(4): 814-826, May 2022.

Izci-Balserak B, Zhu B, Wang H, Bronas UG, Gooneratne NS: Independent associations between sleep duration, gamma gap, and cognitive function among older adults: Results from the NHANES 2013-2014. Geriatr Nurs 44: 1-7, Apr 2022.

Li J, Szanton SL, McPhillips MV, Lukkahatai N, Pien GW, Chen K, Hladek MD, Hodgson N, Gooneratne NS.: An mHealth-Facilitated Personalized Intervention for Physical Activity and Sleep in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. J Aging Phys Act Apr 2022.

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Last updated: 01/15/2024
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