Dr. Carmen Varela

The goal of this project is to investigate biomarkers of cellular activity in the thalamus that correlate with sleep depth and stability. Sleep disruption is a common symptom of neurodegenerative disorders and is thought to be linked to their progression. The thalamus is a critical structure in the maintenance and microarchitecture of sleep, but it is unclear how cellular activity in the thalamus relates to sleep structure. We use rats to investigate the patterns of thalamic cell activity that promote healthy sleep function.
More generally, the lab uses state-of-the-art techniques to investigate the mechanisms of cognitive behavior, with a focus on learning and memory and on the role of the neuronal circuits formed by the thalamus.