Cosy Science

The study of sleep dates back to Aristotle, but we still do not know how it works—or even its purpose. Sleep is unavoidable, has consequences on our mental and physical health, and occupies more of our time than any other activity. Yet sleep remains one of the fundamental mysteries to both scientist and philosopher alike. In the absence of critical knowledge about how and why sleep works, myths abound.

Jason Rihel has recently started his own research lab at University College London (UCL), where he investigates the mechanisms of sleep in zebrafish. Prior to UCL, he did both his PhD and postdoctoral research on the genetics of behaviour while at Harvard University. He fell in love with animal behaviour as a small boy growing up on a farm in the United States.