Sleep, Memory, Emotions Group

During sleep, our brains process the emotional and salient information we experience during the day. Our group aims to understand how this happens by investigating the intricate neural mechanisms underlying emotional memory processing during sleep. By integrating advanced optical techniques such as two-photon imaging, optogenetics, electrophysiology, and genetic targeting approaches, our research will unveil the dynamics of emotion-encoding microcircuits across sleep-wake states and investigate how the brain stores salient environmental information during sleep. This fundamental research will provide a foundation for innovative strategies to address affective, memory, and sleep-related disorders, bridging basic neuroscience and potential therapeutic breakthroughs, and bringing us one step closer to unraveling the enduring mystery of why we sleep.