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.

Postdoctoral Researcher
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. 

Former Team Members

M Sc Salome Wild

Salome Wild received her MSc in Psychology from the University of Bern in 2020. During her studies, she worked as a research assistant at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, contributing to research on sleep and pediatric depression. As a PhD student in the Sleep P project, her research focused on the relationships between sleep, mental health and development in late childhood and early adolescence, with a particular interest in sleep neurophysiology and early markers of developmental trajectories.

Former PhD Candidate

M Sc Chiara Fontanellaz-Castiglione

Chiara Fontanellaz-Castiglione received her MSc in Psychology from the University of Bern in 2011 and subsequently became a licensed psychotherapist for children and adolescents. Before joining the Sleep and Mental Health Lab, she worked clinically with children and adolescents, including individuals with autism spectrum disorders. As a PhD student in Leila Tarokh’s group, she investigated sleep neurophysiology, behavioral sleep interventions and sleep subtypes in adolescent depression.

Former PhD Candidate, Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Thomas Rusterholz

Thomas Rusterholz worked as a postdoctoral researcher in Leila Tarokh’s group at the University of Bern. His research focused on sleep neurophysiology, brain development and the genetic and environmental determinants of sleep during adolescence. Using high-density EEG, he contributed to several studies investigating individual differences in sleep and their role in neurodevelopment.

Former Postdoctoral Researcher

Training and Mentorship

The Sleep and Mental Health Lab is committed to training the next generation of researchers and clinicians. Over the years members of the lab have supervised students and trainees from psychology, neuroscience, medicine and related disciplines.

  • 29 Bachelor’s, Master’s and Medical Master’s theses supervised

  • Students from

    • University of Bern

    • University of Zurich

    • ZHAW - Zurich University of Applied Sciences

    • BENEFRI Neuroscience Program

    • Shanghai Tongji University

Student Research Projects

Former Students and Trainees

Bachelor's, Master’s and Medical Master’s Theses Students

  • Daniela Rupp, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Andrea Inderkum, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Tammy Timmers, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Samira Schaufler, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Anna Clavi, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis, Co-Supervision

  • Vanessa Salvatore, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Gaelle Haas, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Mandana Fröhlich, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis, Co-Supervision

  • Jasmina Rogic, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Sarah Schmidt, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Alessia Maggetti, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Felicitas Vela, Bachelor’s Student, Psychology Bachelor’s Thesis

  • Seyedeh Sharareh Mirzargar, B Sc, Computer Science Master’s Thesis, Co-Supervision

  • Kristina Harris, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Annina Emmenegger, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Moritz Lachner, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Sophie Crameri, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Lena Grütter, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Tamsyn Fuhrer, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Ali-Omid Aleyasin, Medical Doctoral Student, Medical Master’s Thesis

  • Martin D’Adda, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Benjamin Müller, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Dominique Wotke, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Lisa Hernandez, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Danja Odermatt, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Michelle Stauffer, B Sc, Psychology Master’s Thesis

  • Jashin In, M Sc, Psychology Doctoral Student, MAS in Sleep Medicine Supervision

  • Lisa Blaser, Bachelor’s Student, Psychology Bachelor’s Thesis

  • 37 Internships and Research Placements hosted

  • Bachelor’s and Master’s students from the fields of

    • Psychology

    • Medicine

    • Neuroscience

  • Highschool research projects

  • International visiting students

Internships and Research Placements

  • Stephanie Leunberger

  • Nina Rutishauser

  • Nathaline Margot

  • Julia Hegy

  • Zoe Fischbacher

  • Saskia Reisner

  • Floriana Abazi

  • Isabel Meyer

  • André Minder

  • Marta Koc

  • Felicitas Vela

  • Martina Ospelt

  • Raphaela Wenger

  • Tamim Ansary

  • Karin Stulz

  • Anna-Lena Locher

  • Barbora Skacelova

  • Cindy DeFillipo

  • Roberta Christen

  • Elena Landerer

Interns and Research Assistants

  • Dorian Arnet

  • Valentina Jordan

  • Benjamin Müller

  • Śeyma Kaya

  • Alec Lüdi

  • Dragisa Petruljevic

  • Michelle Stauffer

  • Lino Zumwald

  • Lara Martin

  • Leon Schönenburger

  • Eric Mynit-Maung

  • Désirée Boschung

  • Lisa Blaser

  • Lisa Hernandez