For Dr. Michael K. Scullin, principal investigator in the Sleep Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory, the lab’s new exhibit at the Mayborn Museum Complex exploring sleep signifies the culmination of his last decade of research at Baylor.
“If you’d asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, the last thing I would have probably said was a scientist or professor,” Dr. Scullin said. “But then I learned that science is a philosophy, a logical approach to answering the toughest questions in this world. Once I saw science from that perspective, I was interested.”
This journey began when he founded the laboratory in January 2015, and the permanent exhibit debuted earlier this year at the Mayborn. “Sleep Lab: The Exhibit” fuses science and creativity, making the mysteries of sleep accessible and tangible to the public.
“We have all kinds of interactive brain activities, coloring stations, and fun games for the children,” said Dr. Scullin.
“Since 2016, we have hosted these pop-up exhibits at the Mayborn where we’d teach kids about polysomnography, which is the approach to sleep physiology in our lab, and an inflatable T-Rex we named REM-ee the Dino-Snore-Us who taught everyone about sleep apnea,” he continued. “Now, thanks to the U.S. National Science Foundation, we have a permanent structure on the second floor of the children’s wing that’s been designated for Baylor research. And we’re the first lab to be in the room.”
The Sue & Frank Mayborn Natural Science and Cultural History Museum Complex opened in 2004, but its roots trace back to the 1850s when professors were encouraged to collect teaching materials to educate students about biology, chemistry, geology, and physics. Open year-round, the 143,000-square-foot museum stages regular events, weekly programs, and hands-on activities for the whole family.
One of the new exhibit’s stations allows visitors to explore a model of the brain and learn about different parts that are important for sleep and their significance in daily life.
“There’s a structure that teaches about sleep apnea and how a CPAP machine can improve breathing,” Dr. Scullin said. “There’s a station that explains what the sleeping brain does, showing different sleep brainwaves from actual polysomnography recordings we took in our lab and why they’re important and interesting. There’s also a picture station where you can put your head into a cutout and have your picture taken as a Sleep Superhero. It’s all good fun.”
The graphics for the various pieces in the sleep exhibit were dreamed up by Kim Nolan, a Florida-based multidisciplinary artist and exhibit designer whose work has captivated audiences at the Bronx Zoo, the New York Hall of Science, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and many other museums, libraries, and zoos across the country.
“I designed the environmental graphics for the sleep exhibit, which included the illustrations and graphics for the brain waves video, the brain maze activity, and–my favorite part–the illustrations of the Sleep Superheroes,” Nolan said. “It was a fun and interesting project, thanks to the collaboration with the brilliant team from Baylor University and POW!”
The exhibit was work for Nolan, but it was also personal.
“Having lost a friend to sleep apnea in my childhood, I’m grateful to contribute to this important exhibit addressing sleep disorders,” she continued. “During the development of this exhibit, my husband was diagnosed with sleep apnea, and I hope it helps others recognize the symptoms and seek testing.”
The exhibit was also developed by Paul Orselli, an interactive exhibit specialist and museum experience designer who is also president of the Long Island-based company POW!, the Paul Orselli Workshop.
“This is an awesome exhibition, and it was super fun to work on,” Orselli said. “Even though my academic background is in science, I know an exhibit like this must be enjoyable and memorable. It needs to resonate with so many different types of people—whether you’re a scientist, a child, or anyone in the general public—because, after all, everyone sleeps. And sleep is kind of mysterious. We focused on providing practical information about sleep, improving your sleep, and, by extension, improving your body and brain health.”
The exhibit brings to life the research Dr. Scullin’s lab, comprised of undergraduate students, post-baccalaureate associates, and doctoral candidates, engages in daily. The lab’s work focuses on untangling the mysteries of sleep and how it relates to creativity, dreaming, academic outcomes, and health.
“It’s odd to think that you can engage in a behavior for six to nine hours every day and yet almost never think of it. And yet now, sleep has become my main focus,” Dr. Scullin said. After earning his doctorate his doctorate in the Behavior, Brain, and Cognition program at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Scullin completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Neurology and Sleep Medicine program at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
“At Emory, I worked with Donald Bliwise, Ph.D., professor of neurology, experimenting on aging and neurodegenerative disease,” he said. “That gave me the training I needed in sleep physiology to come to Baylor and establish a sleep laboratory in downtown Waco.”
The space downtown was renovated for a full eight months, including outfitting it with polysomnography equipment to measure brain activity while sleeping.
“We’ve got a three-bedroom sleep lab that is sound-attenuated, with full light control and temperature regulation–everything that you would want to be able to systematically examine what the sleeping brain is doing and how it relates to daytime performance and wellbeing,” Dr. Scullin said. “When we started back in 2015, there were only five of us in the lab, and it was absolutely wonderful getting to work side by side with Baylor undergraduate students. Our team has now grown to more than 20, and my undergraduate trainees continue to impress me. They’re bright, determined, and just good human beings.”
At least two research volunteers spend an average of three nights each week being examined in the laboratory. While much substantial research is conducted in the lab, the team is particularly interested in the behaviors people engage in during the day, especially at night, that can either benefit or hinder rest.
“Sleep hygiene is a topic we discuss frequently with college students,” Dr. Scullin said, “because we know that three-quarters of them routinely sleep less than they personally need. Even very mild sleep restriction seems to matter. One of our undergraduate students, Alex Do, found that when our volunteers were deprived of 40 minutes of sleep, they were moodier the next day. In contrast, with an additional 40 minutes of sleep, students reported feeling more resilient and experiencing greater purpose and satisfaction in their lives. I believe we all desire that: to feel as if we’re thriving. And achieving that often requires just a bit more sleep each night.”
Dr. Scullin’s team developed the SleepIsGood.com website to continue sharing information and sleep tips during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can still visit the site and pledge to complete sleep challenges that will enhance your sleep health.
