Brandeis University · BiologySleep and Memory Dynamics Lab
Leslie C Griffith · Waltham, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Leslie C. Griffith's lab at Brandeis University studies how lack of sleep affects our ability to form memories. They investigate the molecular and circuit-level changes that occur during sleep deprivation, using fruit flies as a model organism. This research aims to uncover the mechanics of memory impairment due to sleep loss and to explore potential solutions to mitigate these effects.
sleep deprivationmemory formationdopamine dynamicsDrosophilaneural circuitsplasticitymolecular mechanismslong-term memoryshort-term memory
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the effects of sleep deprivation on short-term memory formation.
AIM 02Examine how sleep deprivation disrupts protein synthesis-dependent long-term memory.
AIM 03Identify molecular mechanisms involved in memory formation during sleep.
AIM 04Explore circuit interactions between memory and sleep centers.
AIM 05Develop strategies to ameliorate sleep deprivation-related memory impairments.
Skills the Lab Values
Drosophila geneticsprotein synthesis assaysbehavioral assayscircuit mappingmicroscopydata analysis techniquesimmunohistochemistrybiochemical pathway analysisRNA interferenceexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications154top 44% of dept.453rd of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.6ktop 39% of dept.407th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.