About
Prof. Dr. Björn Rasch is a Professor at the Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, within the Faculty of Humanities. His research focuses on the interplay between sleep, memory consolidation, and cognitive processes. Key areas include sleep-dependent learning mechanisms, neural correlates of memory reactivation during sleep, and the impact of environmental factors (e.g., stress, media consumption) on sleep quality and cognitive performance.
Education and academic background are not explicitly detailed in the provided text, but his extensive publication record indicates expertise in cognitive neuroscience and sleep research. His work spans experimental paradigms involving targeted memory reactivation, stress effects on sleep architecture, and translational applications such as wearable technologies for sleep interventions.
Research interests prominently feature sleep’s role in memory processing, including declarative and emotional memory consolidation. He investigates how sleep stages (e.g., slow-wave sleep, REM sleep) modulate learning outcomes and how external stimuli (e.g., olfactory cues, auditory feedback) can enhance or disrupt these processes. His studies also address clinical implications, such as improving exposure therapy outcomes through sleep interventions.
Recent articles highlight advancements in understanding sleep’s first-night effects, the efficacy of theta-tACS stimulation, and the design of olfactory wearables for targeted memory reactivation. His work bridges basic neuroscience with applied research, addressing real-world challenges like optimizing sleep for learning and mitigating stress-induced sleep disruption.
No awards or grants are explicitly mentioned, but his prolific publication record and leadership in sleep research underscore significant contributions to the field. He collaborates with interdisciplinary teams and contributes to the department’s research groups in cognitive biopsychology and methods.
