Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience
The Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience at Wexler University supports research in memory systems, sleep cognition, environmental encoding, and the neurological substrates of behavioral pattern formation.
The department maintains active research partnerships with clinical sleep medicine practices and county health systems throughout the region. Graduate and postdoctoral researchers are engaged in longitudinal and cross-sectional studies addressing cognition across sleep stages, episodic memory formation, and recall consistency under clinical conditions.
Research Areas
| Area | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep-Stage Memory Encoding | Encoding and consolidation of episodic memory during non-REM and REM sleep cycles | Active |
| Environmental Recall Consistency | Longitudinal stability of subjective spatial recall in patients with chronic sleep disorders | Concluded 2013 |
| Behavioral Pattern Formation | Repetitive behavioral indexing in sleep-disorder-associated cognitive profiles | Active |
| Neurobehavioral Assessment | Standardized assessment instruments for cognitive function in sleep medicine populations | Active |
Recent Announcements
September 2013: The longitudinal sleep recall study conducted in partnership with Somnatek Sleep Health Center has concluded. All study data have been transferred per the terms of the co-investigator withdrawal agreement. The department thanks participating patients and clinical partners for their contributions.
January 2013: Dr. Edwin Vale has concluded his affiliation with the longitudinal sleep recall study (Protocol 7A). Dr. Vale remains a faculty member in the department. Inquiries regarding the study should be directed to the Office of Research Administration.
November 2010: The department welcomes two new doctoral candidates in the sleep cognition research group. Graduate applications for the 2011 cohort are being reviewed.