Brian Murray

Dr. Murray’s research interests are in neurological aspects of sleep and the relationship between sleep and behaviour. Clinical conditions of particular interest include narcolepsy, rapid eye movement sleep behaviour, restless legs and the effects of sleep and sleep disorders in other medical conditions.
Polysomnography (sleep study) is the major tool in his lab. Polysomnography is a powerful tool that can be used to study the physiological effects of various treatment interventions in multiple medical conditions. Similarly, treatment of sleep disorders can have significant impact on patient health. Dr. Murray’s team performs overnight sleep studies and tests daytime alertness while recording various physiological parameters.

Sleep and sleepiness act as models for plasticity given the dramatic physiologic and chemical changes that occur in the brain every night. His team has created a state-of-the-art sleep laboratory at Sunnybrook, with full polysomnographic monitoring, extended EEG, video monitoring, psychomotor vigilance assessment, actigraphy and portable equipment for in-home use. They have also set up a facility to draw blood samples (including genetic studies) from patients overnight and to administer medications or adjust neurostimulators without disturbing sleep, while simultaneously making polysomnographic recordings. All data collected from clinical research assessments are stored digitally for machine learning analysis.

His team is developing tools for the early diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders and for the endophenotyping of various conditions. Their premise is that during sleep the brain is relatively isolated from its environment and therefore more “objective” with various physiologic parameters reflecting a baseline level of neurochemical activity.

Education

• MD, 1995, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Canada
• FRCPC, 2000, Neurology, Harvard University, US
• D,ABSM, 2002, Sleep Medicine, Harvard University, US

Appointments & Affiliations

• Affiliate Scientist, Evaluative Clinical Sciences, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
• Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
• Chair, Research Ethics Board, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
• Head, Division of Neurology, Sunnybrook