From babies to jellyfish all animals sleep! Dr.Gina Poe’s research investigates the recovery and restorative roles sleep provides for the brain and how the most important stages of sleep like REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and slow wave sleep serve as the ultimate gateway to cognitive health. While we sleep our brain is active, consolidating new knowledge and cleaning out the brain of junk collected during the day. In this lecture Dr.Poe breaks down the stages of sleep and the neuroscience behind the essential brain functions such as memory consolidation, emotional stability and decision making that sleep provides for the brain. Dr.Poe’s lecture empowers students, educators, parents and community members to have a deeper understanding of themselves and their brain health through learning about how common sleep habits and bedtime hygiene impact sleep quality.

Dr. Gina Poe of the University of California, Los Angeles, investigates how sleep supports learning, memory consolidation, and brain plasticity, with a particular focus on REM sleep. Her research has informed our understanding of how sleep disruptions contribute to cognitive and emotional difficulties in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia. For 4-H educators and volunteers, this lecture highlights how insufficient sleep can affect attention, mood, and behavior in youth, underscoring the critical role of sleep in healthy brain development and daily functioning.