Basic Sleep Research workshop

To build bridges between System Neuroscience and Sleep Research in Europe with the support of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS), the University of Oslo in collaboration with the Sainsbury Welcome Centre (UCL, UK) and the University of Copenhagen organises a satellite workshop following the FENS Regional Meeting 2025 in Oslo on June 20th.

When: 20 June 2025

Where: Runde auditorium, Domus Medica, Oslo

The day-workshop will consist of short talks, organised around prioritised thematics defined by the European Basic Sleep Research Committee BSRC, newly appointed by the ESRS. A significant portion of time for each session will be allocated to round tables and discussions with a focus on building consensus around global issues within basic research such as sleep scoring, sleep deprivation methods, and sleep definition.

Our overarching goal is to enable excellent international researchers with different expertise in basic neuroscience and sleep research, to share methods, models, and views on sleep research in order to promote collaboration in Europe.

Each session will end with a long general discussion (45 min) – followed by a coffee break or a lunch – promoting exchange of ideas between the panel members and the workshop participants. We will wrap up the workshop with a presentation of ESRS and BSRC actions.

Access to this workshop is restricted to participants with confirmed registration.

Registration fee (includes lunch and coffee break):

  • Early birds, before 1 June – 550 NOK

  • Regular, after 1 June – 650 NOK

Preliminary programme

09:00-09:10

Welcome: Presentation of workshop objectives and format

Speaker: Charlotte Boccara (UiO)

09:10-10:30

Session #1: Methods in sleep research – How to monitor and manipulate sleep

Chair: Charlotte Boccara (UiO)

Speakers: Hiroki Ueda (UTokyo), Birgitte Kornum (KU), Hanna Antila (UH)

10:30-11:00

Coffee break

11:00-12:20

Session #2: Homeostasis and plasticity in sleep

Chair: Rune Enger (UiO)

Speakers: Rune Enger (UiO), Celia Kjærby (KU), Julie Seibt (Surrey)

12:20-13:00

Lunch

13:00-14:20

Session #3: Diversity of models to study sleep – Phylogenic consensus on sleep definition?

Chair: Helene Knævelsrud (UiO)

Speakers: Jason Rihel (UCL), Steffen Gais (Tuebingen), Johannes Seelig (MaxPlanck Bonn)

14:20-14:50

Coffee break

14:50-16:10

Session #4: How to adapt system neuroscience tools for sleep research

Chair:  Julia Harris (UCL)

Speakers: Cathrin Canto (NiN), Marcus Stephenson-Jones (UCL), Mayank Metha (UCLA)

16:10-17:00

Wrap up: Perspectives, opportunities and challenges for Basic sleep research in Europe (chair BSRC-ESRS committee)

This workshop is sponsored by the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS Home | European Sleep Research Society) and the University of Oslo (UiO).