Continence Research Center

Becky Clarkson, PhD, and Shachi Tyagi, MD, co-direct the Continence Research Center. Dr Clarkson’s research interests include the role of the brain in bladder control, using functional MRI to understand the role of the aging brain in the development of urgency urinary incontinence. In collaboration with Cynthia Conklin, PhD, an addiction researcher in the department of Psychiatry, Dr Clarkson also works on developing therapies involving mindfulness and brain stimulation to reduce symptoms of situational urgency incontinence.

Dr Tyagi focuses on the interaction of sleep and urinary symptoms, researching the etiology and effects of nocturia in the older population. She is particularly interested in the circadian and hormonal effects of sleep on the lower urinary tract.

Together they seek to provide holistic assessment and therapies for geriatric syndromes which affect sleep, continence, and ultimately quality of life in older adults.