WASHINGTON, PA (Nov. 14, 2018)—Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) senior Timothy Yeung was first author on a paper published in the international journal “Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.”
The paper, “Sleep Outcomes With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia Are Similar Between Older Adults With Low vs. High Self-Reported Physical Activity,” was the result of an internship experience Timothy had in the summer of 2017 with the Veteran Affairs Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) in Timothy’s hometown of Los Angeles. The UCLA-associated lab researched sleep related issues in elderly patients.
While Timothy’s study found that the amount of physical activity performed by a patient did not have a significant effect on the patient’s ability to sleep, he still wants to see studies like his pursue cognitive behavior therapy options to treat older adults with insomnia.
“Doctors end up prescribing sleeping pills, which leads to a higher mortality rate in older adults. They’ll take the pill then lose their balance, fall and break a hip, and deal with the complications from that,” Timothy said. “That’s why cognitive behavior therapy for older adults is so critical, and why I wanted to be are part of this research. There are so many that need this treatment and it saves lives.”
The experience with the GRECC, funded by W&J’s Merck Internship for Excellence in Science Award, is one of many Timothy’s had while at W&J. Most recently, he completed an internship during the summer of 2018 with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where he researched pediatric cardiac arrest and found that giving children steroids prior to a cardiac arrest is actually harmful for the patient, the opposite of the reaction in adults. He will present these results with other members of the study at a conference in San Diego in February.
After graduating this December, Timothy will take a semester off before attending medical school at Temple University in the fall through W&J’s Medical Scholars Program partnership with the school. He credits the biology department with providing the education and support he needs to succeed.
“I’d like to thank the biology department with special thanks to Dr. Ron Bayline who worked with me to fund the publishing fee for the paper, and my academic advisor Dr. Mark Harris, for his continual support and guidance through my education here,” Timothy said. “W&J is challenging in many classes, which helps you think critically. Those critical thinking skills are skills you can use anywhere and have translated into writing this.”
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.