Research Spotlight Blog No.11 Raahat Manrai is a postdoctoral researcher working at the Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh. She has expertise in conducting qualitative research and incorporating lived experience within scientific research using participatory research methods. She is currently working on AMBIENT-BD research study aiming to investigate sleep and circadian rhythms in bipolar disorder. Full disclosure before venturing deep into this blog post- I am

I study how the body’s internal clock—known as the circadian system—affects mental health, with a focus on depression. Although disruptions in circadian rhythms have been linked to depression, it remains unclear which alterations are most relevant and whether they play a causal role. I use a combination of methods, including self-report questionnaires, actigraphy (to track activity), and biological markers such as melatonin, cortisol, and body temperature.

Regular and sufficient sleep is crucial for healthy living and to promote positive mental health. Typical methods used to study changes in our sleep, such as activity bands or diaries, are not always well-tolerated by many individuals especially for extended periods of time. Therefore, contactless radar-based sleep sensors provide potential for continuous measurement of sleep for many months. We aim to explore if radar sensors are feasible and accepted by adolescents.

Mood disorders are very different from person to person, which makes it hard to find the right treatment. My research focuses on a particular subtype of mood disorder that seems to be linked to problems with the circadian rhythm, our body’s internal 24-hour clock. People with this “circadian type” of depression appear to have unique genetic risk patterns and often don’t respond as well to standard antidepressants.