SUMMARY
Circadian disruptions are linked to various chronic diseases. Yohannes Woldeamanuel, M.D., develops personalized circadian-resetting interventions to manage chronic headaches, particularly migraines and those related to cancer. Using a multidimensional approach, he investigates the relationships between circadian rhythms, headache pathophysiology, and individual variability.
Dr. Woldeamanuel's methodology combines patient-centered adaptive trials, multi-omics biofluid analysis, preclinical models, digital health platforms, and neuroimaging. His research program aims to identify biomarkers for circadian disruption, develop personalized interventions, and investigate the impact on headache frequency and quality of life. His long-term goals are to establish evidence-based guidelines, translating findings into clinical practice, and develop self-management tools. Dr. Woldeamanuel's research aims to revolutionize headache management with tailored circadian interventions.
Focus areas
- Circadian interventions for migraines. Dr. Woldeamanuel studies circadian interventions for migraine by developing personalized treatments. These tools include body temperature rhythms, timed exercise, morning light exposure, consistent sleep, and mealtimes restricted to daytime hours. He conducts clinical trials to evaluate efficacy, combinations, sequences, and preferences while exploring the mechanisms behind these interventions.
- Circadian interventions for survivors of cancer. Cancer survivorship has improved, but survivor quality of life has worsened. This is due to a rise in chronic and age-related conditions. Dr. Woldeamanuel's research indicates that headaches, aging, and cancer survivorship share circadian disruption. His research shows that circadian interventions reduce daily headaches in survivors of cancer and promote healthier aging.
- Circadian migraine regulation. Dr. Woldeamanuel studies circadian migraine regulation through patient biofluids and preclinical models. He focuses on brain structures with strong circadian rhythms, such as the choroid plexus and glymphatic cerebrospinal fluid flow. His findings reveal sexually dimorphic transcriptomics, with higher levels of circadian-related genes, aquaporin 4, PACAP1 receptor, and GABA receptor in females with migraines. This explains the female preponderance and enables personalized migraine care.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Woldeamanuel's research helps patients better manage their health using proven, personalized strategies. Instead of relying on expensive daily medicines or frequent injections, headache management can use self-efficacious solutions.
While circadian disruptions have long been known to affect health, advances in circadian medicine, such as finding circadian clock genes, have elevated this field. Dr. Woldeamanuel focuses on circadian medicine, linking lifestyle changes that disrupt circadian rhythms, such as shift work, jet lag, and insufficient morning light exposure, to chronic health issues, including headache disorders.
By validating personalized circadian interventions with digital health technologies, Dr. Woldeamanuel's work offers effective, scalable, and accessible treatment options for the billion people affected by migraines worldwide.
Professional highlights
- Editorial board member, Frontiers in Pain Research, 2021-present.
- Editorial board member, The Journal of Headache and Pain, 2021-present.
- Associate editor, BMC Neurology, 2019-present.
- Editorial board member, Frontiers in Neurology: Headache Medicine & Facial Pain, 2016-present.
- Scientist merit reviewer (migraine and sleep reviewer of grant applications), Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, 2023-2024.
- Headache:
- Gold Reviewer Recognition Award, 2023.
- Platinum Reviewer Recognition Award, 2022.
- Publons/Web of Science Peer Review Awardee, Top 1% Reviewer, Publons Global Reviewers, 2018.
- Emerging Leader in Global Health Innovation Award, Consortium of Universities for Global Health, Drs. Anvar and Pari Velji Family Foundation, 2016.
- Chief organizer, 10th International Conference of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa, 2010.