Gilles Vandewalle’s research focusses on the brain mechanisms involved in the regulation of human sleep and wakefulness, including by light, and its importance for cognition and brain health. Electrophysiology, neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing are at the core of the research, including TMS-EEG, PET scan, MRI and UHF-MRI. Genetics and aging have been two major tools to address inter-individual differences in sleep-wake regulation and light impact and in seeking for the keys for successful aging. 

Gilles Vandewalle research follows several streams: non-visual impact of light on cognitive brain function, emotion processing and seasonal affective disorder, in young and older individuals; dynamics of basic brain function across the sleep wake cycle; change in sleep wake regulation in aging; link between sleep-wake regulation and Alzheimer disease. Since 2020, he studies sleep physiology and the non-visual impact of light using ultra-high-field 7 Tesla MRI.

Gilles Vandewalle is the coordinator of WP1 entitled “Fundamentals” which aims at unraveling the fundamentals of neural anatomy, physiology and psychology of light using advanced technology in rodents and in humans. Gilles Vandewalle took part in the organization of the second virtual consortium event. Gilles Vandewalle supervises two young ESRs, Mr. Tamoor Malik (ESR3) who’s project is entitled NIF impact on subcortical brain structures, using 7T UHF MRI, and Mrs. Roya Sharifpour (ESR4) with a project entitled NIF impact of light on the brain in teenagers, using both TMS-EEG and UHF MRI