Microdevices to investigate sleep and temperature regulation in mice

Supervisors

Nick Franks (Life Sciences)
Tim Constandinou (Electrical & Electronic Engineering)
William Wisden (Life Sciences)

Sleep is essential for all animals, yet its specific function is unknown. Moreover, the overlap between the neuronal circuitry underlying sleep, the actions of sedative drugs, and temperature regulation is a mystery. Because of the power of genetics, mice are ideal animals to investigate sleep and temperature regulation, yet their small size makes recording brain waves and temperature a challenge. This project will develop two microdevices, one that will allow continuous recording of these parameters over many days, and the other will allow the brain temperature to be clamped, so that the impact of temperature can be investigated in both sleep and sedation.

Bryan Hsieh talks about his research that is developing microdevices to investigate fundamentals of sleep

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