Peter Meerlo

Prof. Peter Meerlo is an Associate Professor in the Biology of Sleep at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering, within the Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences. His research focuses on sleep regulation, circadian rhythms, stress effects, and their neurobiological implications. He supervises multiple PhD students and has contributed to over 170 peer-reviewed publications.

Education: Meerlo coordinates bachelor programs in Psychobiology, Chronobiology, and Neurobiology. At the master's level, he oversees the Chronobiology: Timing of Behaviour program. His teaching emphasizes neuroscience and behavioral studies.

Research Interests: His work explores sleep's role in brain function, neuronal plasticity, memory, and stress-sleep interactions. Key areas include circadian rhythms, sleep deprivation consequences, and links between sleep disruption and psychiatric disorders like depression.

Advising & Grants: Supervises current PhD projects on light effects on brain function, sleep deprivation's impact on memory, and stress's circadian effects. Past students have addressed topics from sleep homeostasis in birds to neurobiological consequences of chronic sleep restriction.

Labs & Collaborations: Collaborates widely, including on BioClock projects studying circadian clocks in diurnal/nocturnal species. His lab integrates behavioral, molecular, and ecological approaches to sleep research.