Veronica Guadagni

I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory of Human Cerebrovascular Physiology directed by Dr. Poulin within the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary. I previously completed my Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Calgary in the NeuroLab directed by Dr. Iaria.

The central theme of my research focuses on investigating the effects of sleep, sleep-deprivation, and sleep disturbances on cognitive functioning and brain structure and function. During my PhD., I have investigated how sleep (and the lack thereof) affects the human ability to empathize with others and the way individuals process emotional stimuli.
As a postdoctoral fellow, I am investigating how a six month aerobic exercise intervention can improve older individuals’ brain health and cognitive ability, and the role of sleep quality as a mediator in this relationship.

My methodological approach includes objective (actigraphy and polysomnography) and subjective (questionnaires) sleep quality measures, structural and functional neuroimaging techniques.