Sara Aton

Sara Aton, Ph.D., is an Affiliate Professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan, and an affiliate of the Michigan Neuroscience Institute. Her research focuses on understanding how sleep and waking states influence memory consolidation through synaptic plasticity in neural circuits. She employs behavioral, biochemical, electrophysiological, and optogenetic techniques to study rodent models, particularly examining the roles of acetylcholine and interneurons in memory processing.

Key research interests include the dynamics of sleep states (NREM and REM), synaptic plasticity mechanisms, and the impact of sleep disruption on memory formation. Her work addresses how neuronal activity during sleep reactivates learning-related ensembles and regulates biosynthetic processes critical for memory stabilization.

Aton has received prestigious awards such as the NIH New Innovator Award (2013) and Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2013). Her lab investigates translational applications, including therapeutic interventions for sleep-related cognitive impairments in conditions like Fragile X syndrome. The Aton Lab is a hub for interdisciplinary research, combining molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience approaches.

Her publications emphasize sleep-dependent memory consolidation, synaptic plasticity, and the neural circuits governing these processes. Collaborative efforts span neuropharmacology, optogenetics, and computational modeling to unravel the complex interplay between brain states and cognition.