The ‘Sleep and Memory’ lab (UvA) is looking for one or more interns to work on a project investigating the relationships between sleep-related neural activity, consciousness and cognitive functions.

Project

Our lab developed a unique technique for reading and predicting brain activity in real time, called closed-loop neurostimulation (Cox et al. 2014, PLoS One). Closed-loop neurostimulation can be used to boost deep sleep
scillations and make sleep deeper, but also to alter memories during sleep. The effects on consciousness during sleep (i.e. dreams) are yet unknown. This project will address how manipulating sleep oscillations can influence dreams and memory consolidation.

An internship in our lab offers students the possibility to become acquainted with some of the most advanced EEG techniques available today and to get familiar with the fields of sleep, consciousness and memory consolidation.

Your work will consist of:

• Performing whole night high-density EEG polysomnographic recordings (together with another student or investigator)
• Data-analysis (the type and complexity of these analyses will depend on your background and the length of the internship)
• Critically reviewing the existing literature
• Writing a research report

Requirements

Experience with EEG recording and analysis, signal analysis, programming (especially in Matlab), sleep studies, IT and electrotechnical engineering will all come in handy in our lab.

Research internships in our lab tend to be technically, theoretically and logistically quite demanding and require working out of office hours, including at night. We expect applications from highly motivated students.

Applying

To apply or ask more information, contact Elsa Juan (e.juan@uva.nl), and cc Lucia M. Talamini (l.m.talamini@uva.nl). With your motivation letter, please include your CV, a list of your academic courses and grades and, if applicable, a description of previous research (internship) experience.

Start date: January 2020 (Spring semester)
Duration: 6 months or longer
Lab: Sleep and Memory Lab, Psychology Department, Brain & Cognition
program, University of Amsterdam
Supervisor: Dr. Elsa Juan (e.juan@uva.nl) and Dr. Lucia Talamini
(l.m.talamini@uva.nl)