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Dan Denis

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Marie Skłodowska-Curie Senior Research Fellow, University of York

I am a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Psychology, University of York. I am primarily interested in the nature and function of sleep, and how sleep relates to health and cognition. Recently, I have been studying the role that sleep plays in strengthening memories that we form during day, both in healthy populations and clinical groups including those with schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder.

I also have a long-standing interest in unusual sleep experiences, particularly phenomenon such as sleep paralysis and exploding head syndrome. Here, my research has focused on the causes and correlates of these experiences, and enhancing awareness within the medical and research communities.

Experience

  • 2024–present
    Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of York
  • 2022–2024
    Senior research fellow, Department of Psychology, University of York
  • 2019–2021
    Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame
  • 2017–2019
    Postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
  • 2016–2017
    Research assistant, MRC Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King's College London
  • 2013–2016
    PhD student, Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield

Education

  • 2017 
    University of Sheffield, PhD Psychology
  • 2013 
    Goldsmiths, University of London, MRes Psychology
  • 2012 
    Goldsmiths, University of London, BSc Psychology

Publications

  • 2024
    Electrophysiological mechanisms of memory consolidation in human non-rapid eye movement slee, Current Sleep Medicine Reports
  • 2024
    Age-related positivity effect in emotional memory consolidation from middle age to late adulthood, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
  • 2023
    The effects of emotion regulation and sleep on emotional memory formation, Cognition and Emotion
  • 2023
    Isolated sleep paralysis: Clinical features, perception of aetiology, prevention and disruption strategies in a large international sample, Sleep Medicine
  • 2023
    The associations between paranormal beliefs and sleep variables, Journal of Sleep Research
  • 2023
    The influence of encoding strategy on associative memory consolidation across wake and sleep, Learning and Memory
  • 2023
    Changes in sleep timing consistency and perceived life stress across the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of a predominately female United States convenience sample, Clocks and Sleep
  • 2023
    Neural reactivation during human sleep, Emerging Topics in Life Sciences
  • 2023
    Associations between sleep variables and ostensibly paranormal experiences and paranormal beliefs: A systematic scoping review, British Journal of Psychology
  • 2023
    Beta spectral power during sleep is associated with impaired recall of extinguished fear, Sleep
  • 2022
    Slow oscillation-spindle coupling is negatively associated with emotional memory formation following stress, European Journal of Neuroscience
  • 2022
    Sleep preferentially enhances negative aspects of human memory: Well-powered evidence from two large online experiences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2022
    How the 2020 US Presidential election impacted our sleep and psychological well-being, Sleep Health
  • 2021
    Using EEG microstates to examine post-encoding quiet rest and subsequent word-pair memory, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
  • 2021
    Sleep spectral power correlates of prospective memory maintenance, Learning and Memory
  • 2021
    Sleep power spectral density and spindles in PTSD and their relationship to symptom severity, Frontiers in Psychiatry
  • 2021
    Sleep spindles preferentially consolidate weakly encoded memories, The Journal of Neuroscience
  • 2020
    A paradoxical effect of sleep for emotional reactivity in insomnia disorder?, Sleep
  • 2020
    Exploding head syndrome: Clinical features, theories about etiology, and prevention methods in a large international Sample, Sleep Medicine
  • 2020
    Is digital cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia effective in treating subthreshold insomnia: A pilot feasibility study, Sleep Medicine
  • 2020
    The roles of item exposure and visualization success in the consolidation of memories across wake and sleep, Learning and Memory
  • 2019
    Associations between pre-sleep arousal and insomnia symptoms in early adulthood: A twin and sibling study, Sleep
  • 2019
    Associations between exploding head syndrome and measures of sleep quality and experiences, dissociation, and well-being, Sleep
  • 2018
    The relationship between sleep paralysis and sleep quality: Current insights, Nature and Science of Sleep
  • 2018
    Subjective sleep-related variables in those who have and have not experienced sleep paralysis, Journal of Sleep Research
  • 2018
    A systematic review of variables associated with sleep paralysis, Sleep Medicine Reviews
  • 2017
    Terror and bliss? Commonalities and distinctions between sleep paralysis, lucid dreaming, and their associations with waking life experiences, Journal of Sleep Research
  • 2017
    The role of cortical sensorimotor oscillations in action anticipation, NeuroImage
  • 2017
    Externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits: Different associations with sleep quality, Sleep
  • 2017
    Sleep Treatment Outcome Predictors (STOP) pilot study: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial examining predictors of changes of insomnia symptoms and associated traits following cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia in an unselected sample, BMJ Open
  • 2015
    A twin and molecular genetics study of sleep paralysis and associated factors, Journal of Sleep Research

Grants and Contracts

  • 2022
    Optimising memory: Understanding the role of sleep in selective memory strengthening
    Role:
    Principal Investigator
    Funding Source:
    European Commission

Professional Memberships

  • Sleep Research Society
  • Society for Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Neuroscience Society
  • Society for Biological Psychiatry
  • International Early Psychosis Association