Experimental Neurology Center (ZEN)
Research group leader
- Name / Titel
- Carolina Gutierrez Herrera
- carolina.gutierrez@insel.ch
Research focuses
My current research is focused on understanding the brain dynamics that enable cognitive processing in health and disease.In specific, we use sleep as a window to understand how different brain nuclei and their specific cell types (neurons and astrocytes) modulate sleep, sleep oscillations and sleep-dependent cognitive processes in mouse models.Current research programs in my group are designed to link fundamental aspects of sleep brain oscillations with non-invasive therapeutic strategies to improve sleep disturbances and cognitive deficits in neurological (stroke) and psychiatric disorders.
Collaborations
- Sleep-Wake-Epilepsy Zentrum (SWEZ)
- NeuroTec at sitem-insel
- Wyss Center for bio- and neuro-engineering in Geneva
- University of Geneva
- University of San Francisco, California
Short description
Sleep and brain plasticity
Current therapeutical interventions to improve motor or cognitive recovery after stroke range from non- selective modulation of large brain areas to global physical rehabilitation. In this context, local low- frequency, high-amplitude oscillations in the peri-infarct zone share similarities with brain plasticity-promoting sleep slow waves (SW). Whether these support functional plasticity for local recovery of cortical function remains unclear.
Group Members
- Albert Lopez, Informatiker