Volkan Uzungil Bio

My passion is in understanding how the brain ensures the successful transfer of daily experiences to memories during sleep. Treating the brain as a dynamical system, my approach is to understand the population network computations which govern the consolidation of memories; through insights and collaborations with theoreticians. An enhanced mechanistic understanding of memory consolidation together with advancements in neural implant technology present a promising opportunity to utilise neurotechnology as next-generation effective therapeutics to treat cognitive disorders.

I completed my BSc (Honours) from The University of Melbourne in 2016 where I majored in
neuroscience. I then completed my PhD also at The University of Melbourne in 2022 under the supervision of Prof. Tony Hannan and Dr. Thibault Renoir where I discovered novel antidepressant-like properties of a pharmacotherapy and determined it’s whole-brain regional network properties through graph theoretic analysis. In 2023 I held a postdoctoral position at Imperial College London with Prof. Simon Schultz, where I utilised graph theoretic analysis and whole brain two-photon imaging to determine regional network properties during short-term spatial memory performance.

Outside of the lab I sing 70s ballads in the shower, get my heart broken by Arsenal and lie down with my eyes closed for approximately 8 hours every night for some reason..