Laurier’s 19th annual Hunsberger Lecture explains why the brain works better with sleep

April 1, 2024
For Immediate Release

WATERLOO – Neuroscientist, sleep researcher, and UCLA Professor Gina Poe will speak about the link between sleep and brain function as part of the 19th annual Hunsberger Memorial Lecture hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University’s Department of Psychology. Her lecture, “Sleep features for learning and memory incorporation, insight, and emotional health,” will be held on April 5 at 2:30 p.m. in the Science Building on Laurier’s Waterloo campus.

Poe’s research considers the roles different sleep stages have on learning and memory, highlighting the importance not just of the amount of sleep, but also sleep architecture. Her research on the role of sleep in memory and emotion has furthered understanding of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

“It is a great privilege to be visited by one of world’s top neuroscientists and sleep experts, Dr. Gina Poe,” said Nathan Insel, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. “Dr. Poe provided some of the very first evidence and insights on how the brain uses REM sleep to do away with unneeded memories—an idea seeded in part by Nobel Laurate Francis Crick, of DNA fame.”

In her presentation, Poe will show that, while a sleeping brain doesn’t appear to be very active on the outside, complex mechanics are at play that improve capacity for decision-making and emotional balance once awake. She will discuss the role of different sleep states on restoration, learning, growth and insight.

”It is impossible to overstate the impact Dr. Poe has had on the future of neuroscience through her contributions inside and outside of the lab,” said Insel. “Through a number of leadership roles, high-profile workshops, and large-scale funding initiatives, she has created an infrastructure to make brain research more accessible to traditionally underrepresented groups, diversifying and bolstering the science in ways that continue to unfold.”

Poe’s lecture takes place April 5 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. in the Science Building (N1001) on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. This is a free, public event and registration is not required. 

About Gina Poe

Dr. Gina Poe is a prominent neuroscientist, professor, and sleep researcher at UCLA whose lab has published over 200 papers and meeting abstracts. Dr. Poe is currently on Council at the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and stroke and is the Faculty Chair of the Lorre Scholars program at UCLA. Her science was featured on Netflix’s The Mind, Explained.

About the Hunsberger Lecture

2024 marks the 19th annual Bruce Hunsberger Lecture. Professor Bruce Hunsberger was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Laurier from 1974 to 2003 and served as the department chair for many years. He was an influential scholar in the field of the psychology of religion and a recipient of the William James Award from the American Psychological Association. The ongoing Hunsberger Lecture series was created to remember his lifelong commitment to communicating psychological research to a wide audience.