Professor Dr. Sarah Chellappa

Biography

Sarah L. Chellappa, MD, MPH, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the University of Southampton, UK. Dr. Chellappa's research has demonstrated that sleep and circadian rhythms significantly influence mood, cognition, and brain activity across diverse human populations, including healthy young and older adults, shift workers, and patients with depression and ocular diseases. Her work integrates multimodal neuroimaging methods to examine how sleep and circadian rhythms impact brain activity and modulate mood and cognition. Additionally, Dr. Chellappa explores circadian interventions aimed at enhancing well-being through targeted light exposure and nutritional strategies, specifically meal timing, to improve cardiometabolic and mental health outcomes in humans. She has authored over 60 publications in prestigious journals such as Science, Lancet, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Chellappa is also a committed advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusivity in the workplace, serving as a neurodivergent self-advocate for mental health issues based on her lived experience.

Research Interests

Experience