Team

Meet the researchers behind the Sleep and Mental Health Lab

Our lab brings together researchers interested in sleep, dreaming and mental health across development and adulthood.

Prof. Dr. Leila Tarokh

Leila Tarokh received her PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of California, Irvine in 2006. Following postdoctoral training at Brown University, she held research positions at Brown University, the University of Zurich and the University of Bern. She is currently Associate Professor at the University of Bern and Head of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between sleep, brain development and mental health using multimodal approaches with an emphasis on high-density waking and sleep EEG.

Group Leader

Dr. Andjela Markovic

Andjela Markovic received her MSc in Biomedical Engineering from ETH Zurich and her PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Bern. Her research focuses on sleep across development, from infancy to adolescence, with a particular interest in the neurophysiological, behavioral and environmental factors that shape sleep and mental health. She is currently involved in research examining developmental sleep processes as well as genetic and environmental influences on sleep.

Postdoc
PhD Candidate

M Sc Jalina Riederer

Jalina Riederer received her BSc in Psychology from the University of Bern and her MSc in Psychology with a specialization in Neuropsychology from the University of Zurich. During her training, she completed clinical and research placements at the Inselspital Bern and the University Hospital for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. She is currently a PhD Candidate at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bern, investigating the relationship between sleep neurophysiology, dreaming and mental health through high-density EEG, dream reports and clinical measures.

M Sc Miriel Gutwenger

After receiving her BSc in Psychology at the University of Innsbruck, Miriel proceeded to complete a Master’s in Cognitive Science and Language at the University of Barcelona and a MSc in Neurosciences at VU Amsterdam. Her internships evolved around the detection of slow oscillations and sleep spindles in realtime, and currently she works at the UPD Bern as a research assistant supporting an investigation on dreaming in Major Depressive Disorder.

Research Assistant

B Sc Lisa Hernandez

Lisa received her BSc in Psychology form the University of Basel. She is currently conducting her Master’s thesis research at the University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Bern, focusing on the intersection of dream patterns and mental health.

Master's Student
Bachelor's Student

Lisa Blaser

Lisa is just about to finish her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at the University of Bern. She works as an intern in the team, collecting the hours needed for the Master’s internship.