Raffaele Sarnataro

Dr. Raffaele Sarnataro is a Fulford Junior Research Fellow at Somerville College, Oxford, and a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford. He works in the Miesenböck group at the Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, focusing on the molecular and neural mechanisms of sleep control.

Dr. Sarnataro received his academic training at the Scuola Normale Superiore and University of Pisa, Italy, where he obtained a BSc in Biotechnologies, an MSc in Molecular and Cell Biology, and a Diploma di Licenza in Biology. He completed his doctoral studies at the University of Oxford through the Wellcome Trust-funded 4-year Doctoral Programme in Neuroscience, earning an MSc and DPhil (PhD) in Neuroscience.

Dr. Sarnataro's research focuses on understanding how sleep need is encoded in the brain, investigating the molecular machinery and neural dynamics of sleep control. His work combines ultrastructural, molecular, transcriptomic, transgenic, single- and two-photon microscopy, and behavioral approaches to study sleep-control neurons and how sleep need is physically encoded in their molecular machinery and circuitry network dynamics. His recent groundbreaking work has revealed a mechanistic link between cellular energy metabolism and sleep control, showing that mitochondrial electron transport in specific neurons tracks sleep need. His research has uncovered that neurons projecting to the dorsal fan-shaped body in Drosophila track sleep need via electrons flowing through the electron transport chain of their mitochondria. Tuning this flow bidirectionally regulates the animal's sleep, mechanistically linking cellular metabolism to sleep control. His work also shows that these same neurons generate oscillations whose power depends on sleep need and is tuned by neuronal plasticity.

Dr. Sarnataro has received several prestigious awards, including:

• Fulford Junior Research Fellowship from Somerville College Oxford (2024)
• Jesus College Graduate Scholarship
• Oxford Scholar status (2019)
• Awards from the Physiological Society
• Awards from the British Neuroscience Association
• Awards from the Guarantors of Brain
• Awards from Gordon Research Conferences

Dr. Sarnataro has been actively involved in neuroscience community building as President of the Oxford University Cortex Club, the neuroscience student forum. He also serves as an associate member of the Italian Center for Excellence and Transdisciplinary Studies and collaborates with the Italian National Association of Natural Sciences Teachers and Amgen Biotech Experience Italy. He has contributed to science communication through the Neuroverse podcast and various publications, demonstrating strong commitment to public engagement across educational levels.