Projects in the lab aim to discover biomarkers of sleep oscillations that correlate with memory consolidation and sleep quality. Sleep disruption is a common symptom of neurodegenerative disorders and is thought to be linked to their progression. Thalamocortical activity during sleep is critical for the contribution of sleep to memory consolidation, but it is not clear what oscillatory and cellular activity patterns relate to sleep quality and memory consolidation.
The candidate will assist with administrative and scientific aspects of this project, using rats to investigate the patterns of thalamic activity that promote healthy sleep function.
More generally, the lab uses state-of-the-art techniques to investigate the neural network mechanisms of cognitive behavior, with a focus on learning and memory and on the role of the neuronal circuits formed by the thalamus.