Caroline Lustenberger
Curriculum Vitae
Caroline Lustenberger, PD Dr. sc. is a neuroscientist, author, lecturer, group leader at ETH Zurich, where she directs the Sleep Lab within the Neural Control of Movement Lab. With more than fifteen years of experience in sleep and systems neuroscience, her work centers on how oscillatory brain activity during sleep supports brain and body functions across the health- and lifespan.
Caroline completed a BSc and MSc in Human Movement Sciences at ETH Zurich before earning a doctorate in Neuroscience that explored the interplay between sleep rhythms and memory formation. Post‑doctoral fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation brought her to the University of Zurich and to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she established closed‑loop brain‑stimulation paradigms during sleep.
Since 2019 she has led the Sleep Lab at ETH Zurich that investigates sleep’s role in brain and body recovery by bridging rigorous laboratory studies with real-world applications. Her contributions are published in leading peer‑reviewed journals and have been supported by competitive national and international grants. In 2024 she received the ETH venia legendi in Neuroscience.
Beyond academia, Caroline is a recognised science communicator, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. Her popular‑science book “Dieses Buch ist zum Einschlafen” (Beobachter Edition, Ringier, 2024) and regular media contributions exemplify her commitment to translating sleep science for broad audiences. She serves on national scientific committees, advises industry and public‑health bodies, and advocates for the structural integration of sleep health into healthcare, education, and workplace health.
Research Interests
Sleep represents a cornerstone of human physiology, governing cognitive performance, emotional balance, and systemic recovery. Caroline’s research investigates how distinct features of sleep shape brain, cardiovascular, and metabolic health. By integrating laboratory experiments with long‑term, real‑world studies, the team examines both mechanistic principles and ecological relevance.
Her research focuses on identifying how brain activity during sleep orchestrates recovery in neural, autonomic, and metabolic systems, and how sleep–arousal interactions evolve across age and lifestyle contexts. Experimental insights are paired with closed-loop acoustic and electrical, behavioural, and sensory interventions to establish how restorative sleep can be preserved or enhanced in everyday settings.
From sleep science to society
Sleep is one of the most powerful levers to enhance public health. At ETH Zurich, Caroline and her group are increasingly committed to translating sleep science into practice. Therefore, approaches are pioneered to embed sleep knowledge structurally across sectors, from hospitals and rehabilitation centers to education and workplace health. The overarching aim is to transform fundamental discoveries into scalable strategies that society can adopt, anchoring healthy sleep as a practical, preventive pillar of public health.
Publications
For a full list of publications please consult external page Google Scholar.
Professur Neuronale Bewegungskontr
Gloriastrasse 37/ 39
8092
Zürich
Switzerland