Samuel Gillman, BSc (Hons)

Samuel Gillman, BSc (Hons)

Master Student

Sam Gillman received his HB.Sc. in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2020, with a Minor in Physiology. During his time there, he contributed to advancements in our understanding of associative memory acquisition using optogenetic manipulations and eye-blink conditioning. His undergraduate internship delved into a novel treatment for narcolepsy by replenishing lost cells in the hypothalamus that are essential for maintaining proper sleep and wake cycles. Sam started his masters thesis in Exercise Science in 2020. His research, supervised by Dr. Thanh Dang-Vu, examines EEG brain oscillation activity and cross-frequency coupling (CFC) during sleep in relation to cognitive performance and overnight memory consolidation across adulthood, and in healthy vs. cognitively impaired older adults (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease). Sam’s research has two overarching aims: First, to help improve our understanding of neural mechanisms underlying memory consolidation processes during sleep, and second, to investigate whether CFC measured during sleep has potential as a non-invasive biomarker of ageing-related memory impairment and neurodegeneration.

Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation; Memory Acquisition; Brain Oscillations; Neurobiological Performance Enhancement; Sleep-Wake Mechanisms; Cognition; Alzheimer’s Disease; Narcolepsy; Non-Invasive Biomarkers; Neuroimaging.

Peer-reviewed publications

    Biography

    Sam Gillman received his HB.Sc. in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2020, with a Minor in Physiology. During his time there, he contributed to advancements in our understanding of associative memory acquisition using optogenetic manipulations and eye-blink conditioning. His undergraduate internship delved into a novel treatment for narcolepsy by replenishing lost cells in the hypothalamus that are essential for maintaining proper sleep and wake cycles. Sam started his masters thesis in Exercise Science in 2020. His research, supervised by Dr. Thanh Dang-Vu, examines EEG brain oscillation activity and cross-frequency coupling (CFC) during sleep in relation to cognitive performance and overnight memory consolidation across adulthood, and in healthy vs. cognitively impaired older adults (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease). Sam’s research has two overarching aims: First, to help improve our understanding of neural mechanisms underlying memory consolidation processes during sleep, and second, to investigate whether CFC measured during sleep has potential as a non-invasive biomarker of ageing-related memory impairment and neurodegeneration.

    Research interests

    Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation; Memory Acquisition; Brain Oscillations; Neurobiological Performance Enhancement; Sleep-Wake Mechanisms; Cognition; Alzheimer’s Disease; Narcolepsy; Non-Invasive Biomarkers; Neuroimaging.

    Contact details
    Selected publications

    Peer-reviewed publications