MIDDLEBURY — Sleep is something we are all familiar with, including the clear behavioral and cognitive deficits that arise when we (all too often) fail to get enough of this valuable behavior.
The Middlebury Branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) will help us learn more about sleep and how to manage it in our busy lives with a Zoom Webinar titled “The Search for Sleep Function,” next Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 6:30 p.m. online.
Despite our direct personal experiences and significant research efforts, the fundamental function of sleep remains unknown. Middlebury College Professor Michael Dash will explore current hypotheses and data that address the biological underpinnings of sleep need and how specific patterns of brain activity characteristic of sleep contribute to sleep function. In short, we will seek to understand why we sleep.
Dash is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience at Middlebury. He teaches courses on the neurobiology of sensory perception, brain plasticity, the role of neuronal oscillations in generating brain function, and statistics. His research lab focuses on investigating the interactions between sleep function, brain metabolism, and memory.
Before coming to Middlebury, Dash received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Illinois and Syracuse University. He has published scientific articles in a variety of journals including The Journal of Neuroscience, The Journal of Neurochemistry, and the journal Sleep.
When he is not obsessing about brain function, Mike Dash enjoys spending time in Bristol with his wife, their 3-year-old son, and 1-year-old daughter.
Register for the Nov. 17 webinar at bit.ly/AAUWsleep. Email [email protected] with questions.