Our research primarily concerns how memories evolve over time, how the neural reorganization of knowledge may impact other cognitive processes, and how processes active during sleep contribute to these changes. These questions are investigated using behavioral and electrophysiological methods in healthy adults, patients with sleep disorders, and in aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Ongoing projects are examining:

• How the emotional state (i.e., mood) of an individual before sleep influences which memories are strengthened during sleep
• How sleep and dreams facilitate creative problem solving
• How sleep contributes to superior memory for same-race compared with other-race faces
• The contribution of sleep physiology to superior memory in individuals with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory
• The contribution of wakeful rest to memory consolidation