Prof. Dr. Philippe Peigneux

Philippe Peigneux is PhD in Psychological Sciences (2000; University of Liège [ULg], Belgium). He is currently Tenure Professor of Clinical Neuropsychology at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium, where he is also Co-Director of the Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit (UR2NF) affiliated at the Centre for Research in Cognitive Neurosciences (CRCN) and at the ULB Neurosciences Institute (UNI). He is active in sleep research since 1996 and published more than 180 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is the Co-Editor of the ESRS Sleep Medicine Textbook (2014, 2021) that comprises the knowledge base for the ESRS examinations in sleep medicine.

His research is mainly but not exclusively focused on investigating the relationships between sleep, learning and memory consolidation processes, and in a wider perspective the interrelationships between cognitive processes and vigilance states, including sleep and biological rhythms, both in healthy and pathological conditions (sleep and circadian disorders, disorders of consciousness, developmental and epileptic disorders, degenerative diseases [Parkinson, Alzheimer, Multiple Sclerosis], …), in adulthood and across children development and ageing. A specific focus is made on the processes by which novel representations are created and novel information consolidated in long-term memory in relation to sleep. His studies are mainly conducted using behavioral and cognitive approaches and advanced brain activity recording techniques, mostly functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (NIRS), electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG).

Prof. Peigneux is a member of the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS) since 2001 and was part of the ESRS Scientific Committee (2006-2008) then Secretary in the ESRS Board (2008-2012), ESRS President (2012-2016) and ESRS Past President (2016 – 2020). He is co-creator and organizer of the ESRS Sleep Science School (Frejus, France, 2017, 2019, 2021) aimed at gathering early career sleep scientists around different fundamental topics, allowing them to gain knowledge, share their work and experience, meet experienced researchers, develop opportunities and create novel networks of excellence.