Nicholas van den Berg

Assistant Professor

Psychology

Keirstead Hall 116

Fredericton

Nicholas.vandenBerg@unb.ca



Research

My research explores how sleep supports cognitive and emotional function, in both controlled laboratory settings and applied field environments.

Through polysomnography and wearable technology, I integrate "gold standard" lab-based sleep collection methods into applied environments. This allows for research into the fundamentals of the sleeping brain, and a holistic understanding of how sleep changes in response to environmental factors and individual variability.

I examine sleep while considering individual differences (e.g., in age, sex, chronotype, physical activity) and across extreme environments such as during intense military trainings or polar expeditions.

I welcome inquiries from any undergraduate or graduate students interested in gaining experience or pursuing sleep research, whether as formal supervision or through volunteer experience.

Education

  • B.A. (Hons.) Bishop's University, Canada
  • Ph.D. (Experimental Psychology) University of Ottawa, Canada
  • Postdoctoral Research Training Royal Military Academy, Belgium

Publications

Baena, D., Toor, B., van den Berg, N.H., Ray, L., & Fogel, S. (2024). Spindle-slow wave coupling and problem-solving skills: Impact of age. Sleep, 47(7), July 2024

Pattyn, N., Van Cutsem, J., Van Puyvelde, M., van den Berg, N.H., Lacroix, E., Dessy, E., Verheyden, C., Huybens, W., Lo Bue, S., Tibax, V., Vliegen, R., Ceccaldi, J., Savieri, P., Stas, L., & Mairesse, O. (2024). Smart is the new strong: An investigation of the contribution of physical, cognitive, anthropometric, and personality variables to success in a Tier 1 Special Forces qualification course. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 13(2), 183–204

van den Berg, N.H., Gibbings, A., Baena, D., Pozzobon, A., Al-Kuwatli, J., Ray, L.B., & Fogel, S.M. (2023). Eye Movements during phasic vs. tonic REM sleep are differentially involved in consolidating novel problem-solving skills. Sleep, Aug 14, 46(8).

van den Berg, N.H., Michaud, X., Pattyn, N., & Simonelli, G. (2023). How sleep research in extreme environments can inform the military: Advocating for a transactional model of sleep adaptation. Current Psychiatry Reports, 25, 73-91.

van den Berg, N.H., Smith, D., Fang, Z., Pozzobon, A., Toor, B., Al-Kuwatli, J., Ray, L., & Fogel, S. M. (2023). Sleep strengthens resting-state functional communication between brain areas involved in the consolidation of problem-solving skills. Learning & Memory, 30(1), 25–35.

Toor, B., van den Berg, N., Fang, Z., Pozzobon, A., Ray, L. B., & Fogel, S. M. (2022). Age-related differences in problem-solving skills: Reduced benefit of sleep for memory trace consolidation. Neurobiology of Aging, 116, 55–66.

van den Berg, N.H., Pozzobon, A., Fang, Z., Al-Kuwatli, J., Toor, B., Ray, L.B., & Fogel, S.M. (2022). Sleep enhances consolidation of memory traces for complex problem-solving skills. Cerebral Cortex, 32(4), 653–667.

van den Berg, N.H., Al-Kuwatli, J., Paulin, J., Ray, L. B., Owen, Adrian M., & Fogel, S. (2019). Sleep preferentially enhances memory for a cognitive strategy but not the implicit motor skills needed to acquire it. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 161, 135-142.