University of Amsterdam

The University of Amsterdam (UVA) is the largest university in the Netherlands and a core member of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). It is one of the leading research universities in the world, ranking 59th in the 2018 World University Ranking by Times Higher Education, and 58th in the 2018 QS World University Rankings. UVA, the Vrije Universiteit and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience – all located in Amsterdam – form one of the most important European hubs for the neurosciences.

The Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group is part of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Science, within the Faculty of Science. The institute brings together approximately 200 researchers organized into 13 research groups and 2 expertise centres. SILS personnel is also involved in teaching an increasing number of bachelor and master students. The total annual budget of the institute is around € 19 million, of which almost 30 percent comes from external funding. Scientific output consists of around 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books per year. The Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group c focuses on advancing our understanding of memory consolidation, neural coding, multisensory integration and consciousness. To achieve these goals a variety of innovative methodologies are used. Specifically, multi-area ensemble recordings, optogenetics, two-photon population calcium imaging and whole-cell patch clamp recordings are currently employed in head-fixed, awake animals to understand how brain activity relates to sensory processing and perception.

Umberto Olcese

Dr. Umberto Olcese is an assistant professor in the Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group at UVA. The key characteristic of his research activities is his ability to apply advanced technologies to neuroscientific investigation, thanks to his background in bioengineering. Umberto Olcese coordinates the FLAG-ERA JTC consortium project ‘CANON’. He has extensive experience in many technologies for investigating neuronal activity in vivo in rodents, and in combining them to achieve successful research projects: intrinsic optical signal imaging, extracellular ensemble recordings, optogenetic manipulations of genetically identified neuronal populations, two-photon calcium imaging, whole-cell recordings, EEG and LFPs, advanced signal analysis, modelling. This extensive expertise will be crucial for the success of the LULLABI project, which is based on the integration of multiple technologies and disciplines. During his PhD (Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy) Umberto Olcese developed a strong collaboration with Prof. Giulio Tononi (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA), with whom he investigated the modulation of neuronal firing rates and synchrony as a function of the wake/sleep cycle, as well as the neuronal bases of conscious processing. One major result was the discovery of local sleep, during which brain portions can enter a state of sleep-like activity while animals are behaviorally awake. During his PostDoc (Italian Institute of Technology, Genoa, Italy) he worked with Dr. Paolo Medini and realized the first microcircuital characterization of multisensory integration in the mouse parietal cortex.

Junying Wang

Dr. Junying Wang is a postdoctoral researcher in the Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Group at UvA. She obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where she conducted research on the physiological functions of FUS (Fused in Sarcoma) in the neural system. With extensive training ranging from molecular neuroscience to systems neuroscience, Dr. Wang is proficient in a diverse array of techniques, including behavioral analysis, two-photon imaging, fiber photometry imaging, EEG/EMG recording, optogenetics, whole-cell recording, and various cellular and molecular assays. Her research interest is to understand how neural activities encode and process information to support cognitive functions. Currently, she is dedicated to identifying markers of neuronal activity in mice and organoids during sleep and wake states.

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