In a Gates Cambridge Conversations interview, researchers Julia Maybury (Gates Cambridge scholar, 2023) and Sri Jagannathan (2015) outlined their current work on how sleep supports memory and behavioural resilience, and the measurement tools they use—from adhesive forehead EEG to consumer wearables.

Maybury studies memory precision—how well people recall details of personal events—and how age and sleep shape that precision. She said different sleep stages may prioritise general versus detailed memories, but the evidence remains mixed. Her ongoing work tests whether reduced deep sleep in older adults explains memory decline and whether improving deep sleep could protect specific memory details.

Maybury records sleep with both traditional cup EEG and newer self-applied adhesive sensors on the forehead. She noted adhesive sensors cut lab time and enable at‑home recording but can suffer variable signal quality if they do not adhere well. She also referenced consumer devices such as the Oura ring as fairly accurate for staging sleep when compared with polysomnography, while adding that more validation is needed.

Jagannathan combines human and animal work. His lab maps synaptic wiring in fruit flies using electron microscopy and uses genetic tools to record, activate and silence specific neurons. He has described distinct micro‑behaviours and electrophysiological signatures across fly sleep stages, and he studies how sleep affects resilience to repeated failure—an analogue of learned helplessness—through neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. He was awarded the NeuroCure Talents Fellowship to extend this work.

Jagannathan argued the fly model lets researchers trace structural connections and test causal effects on memory: “Many people think flies are stupid, but they are really smart,” he said, noting flies share many genes and behaviours with humans and allow precise intervention that human studies cannot.

Both researchers warned of technical limits. EEG cannot resolve individual neurons and at‑home wearables can trigger user anxiety about sleep quality. Still, they said, combining human studies, animal models and improved sensing could point to practical ways to protect deep sleep and memory as people age.

Photo credit: www.gatescambridge.org

Tags: sleep stages, memory consolidation, EEG, wearables, fruit fly models

Topics: Wearable neurotech, EEG & neuro-sensing headsets, Sleep technology