What is the Center for
Sleep and Cognition?
The Center for Sleep and Cognition is devoted to research into the cognitive and emotional functions of sleep and dreaming, and the role of these processes in the evolution of memories. Specifically, we are interested in how sleep and dreaming participate in the normal processing of emotional experiences and of memories more generally, and how these processes contribute to the mental health of the individual.
The CfSC was established by Dr. Robert Stickgold in 2003 as an outgrowth of the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center, which was under the direction of J. Allan Hobson. Now under the direction of Dr. Tony Cunningham, the CfSC resides in the Clinical Research Center (CRC) at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and is home to four state-of-the-art sleep rooms, top-of-the-line high-density electroencephalogram (hdEEG) Amplifiers, polysomnography (PSG) recording and analysis systems, nursing staff support, and a nutrition team.
The Center for Sleep and Cognition (CfSC) is committed to investigating ways to utilize sleep as a tool to optimize performance and reduce suffering in healthy and clinical populations. By taking a clinical neuroscience approach, we plan to incorporate findings from bench to bedside to better understand the effects of sleep on the human condition. We believe that this interdisciplinary goal will best be accomplished by the inclusion of diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and expertise among our lab members and research participants. Moreover, the CfSC believes that access to adequate sleep is a human right and is devoted to promoting and aiding sleep equity in all communities.
Our Passion
The Center for Sleep and Cognition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is currently under the direction of Tony J. Cunningham, PhD. The CfSC team members represent an interdisciplinary, collaborative assemblage of professionals from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, computer sciences, neurology, medicine, and more, all united by the common interest of understanding the functions of sleep and dreaming in cognitive function and mental well-being.
Our Team
