In this interview, we hear from Dr. Maryam Ghorbani, a distinguished researcher and recipient of an IBRO Return Home Fellowship, now called IBRO Rising Stars Awards. […]
I am a neuroscientist studying the neural mechanisms of memory consolidation during sleep, with a particular focus on the dynamic interplay between slow oscillations and sleep spindles. My research integrates EEG-based sleep analysis with behavioral memory paradigms to investigate how distinct features of non-REM sleep contribute to long-term memory stabilization.
As part of an international collaboration with Professor Lisa Marshall’s team at the University of Lübeck, our work focuses on employing closed-loop auditory stimulation to selectively enhance sleep rhythms that support memory consolidation. We aim to understand how auditory stimulation, precisely synchronized with endogenous brain activity, can modulate the strength and timing of fast and slow spindles in coordination with slow oscillations, thereby improving overnight memory retention.
I am also deeply interested in translating these findings into non-invasive cognitive enhancement strategies, particularly for educational and clinical applications. Our goal is to bridge basic neuroscience with real-world interventions that can support learning and memory across diverse populations.
Selected Publications
Slow spindles are associated with cortical high frequency activity
NS Hashemi, F Dehnavi, S Moghimi, M Ghorbani — NeuroImage, 2019
Opposite effect of motivated forgetting on sleep spindles during stage 2 and slow wave sleep
F Dehnavi, S Moghimi, S Sadrabadi Haghighi, M Safaie, M Ghorbani — Sleep, 2019
Spontaneous slow oscillation—slow spindle features predict induced overnight memory retention
F Dehnavi, PC Koo-Poeggel, M Ghorbani, L Marshall — Sleep, 2021
Memory ability and retention performance relate differentially to sleep depth and spindle type
F Dehnavi, PC Koo-Poeggel, M Ghorbani, L Marshall — iScience, 2023
Motivated forgetting increases the recall time of learnt items: Behavioral and event related potential evidence
SS Haghighi, M Ghorbani, F Dehnavi, M Safaie, S Moghimi- Brain Research 1729, 146624
My research specializes in brain signal analysis and computational neuroscience, focusing on neural oscillations and their functional significance across different brain states. My expertise includes developing algorithms for detecting various brain rhythms, creating methodologies for spike sorting, and building computational models that generate neural oscillations. Currently, I'm working on seizure detection in epileptic marmosets through analysis of brain recordings under supervision of Dr. Maryam Ghorbani and Dr. Igor Timofeev. For updates on my latest research, please visit:
