Omer Sharon, a postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley, has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the 2024 Glenn Foundation for the Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship in Aging Research. Sponsored by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), this prestigious fellowship supports research aimed at advancing our understanding of human aging.
Sharon, who conducts his research at Berkeley’s Center for Human Sleep Science, focuses on how sleep maintains brain health. One key idea is that during sleep, the brain’s cleaning system, known as the glymphatic system, helps clear harmful waste products, such as tau and amyloid-beta proteins, which are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. The glymphatic system facilitates the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through the brain during sleep, but much about this process remains debated in the scientific community.
In a recent interview with Berkeley Social Sciences, Sharon discussed his background, research and the significance of the fellowship. This interview has been edited for clarity.
Tell us about your background and how you ended up at UC Berkeley.
Omer Sharon: I earned my Ph.D. in neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, where I focused on sleep, memory and aging—specifically in patients across the Alzheimer’s disease spectrum. I came to UC Berkeley to work with Pyschology Professor Matthew Walker (founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science), a world-leading sleep scientist specializing in sleep and aging. The Center for Human Sleep Science houses one of the largest datasets of overnight sleep brainwave recordings from individuals whose brains have been imaged for Alzheimer’s-related proteins, tau and amyloid-beta, in collaboration with UC Berkeley Public Health and Neuroscience Professor William Jagust. This unique data provides critical insights into the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer’s disease pathology in older adults.
Tell us about your research.
Omer Sharon: I study how sleep changes with aging and how these changes relate to brain health. My current project focuses on electrical slow brain waves, the most synchronous electrical events in a healthy brain and the hallmark of sleep. A big question in sleep science is why we spend so much time asleep, seemingly “doing nothing.” I believe that examining how sleep evolves across the lifespan offers valuable clues.
For example, kids sleep a lot, while older adults sleep less, and their slow brain waves are weaker and more localized. Among older adults, sleep patterns vary greatly, as does how they age—some remain sharp and active into their 90s, while others experience cognitive decline in their 70s. This variability provides an opportunity to understand both aging and sleep.
My work shows that as we age, slow waves lose their ability to travel across the brain. Instead of covering large cortical areas, they remain confined to the frontal regions, where most of them originate. This change correlates with the buildup of tau protein in the frontal cortex and is associated with poorer memory consolidation during sleep. Identifying these traveling slow waves as a key mechanism could open doors to clinical interventions for aging-related cognitive decline.
What drew you to the science of sleep?
Omer Sharon: Sleep is fascinating because it remains such a mystery. It’s as essential as eating and breathing, yet we don’t fully understand why. Over time, I became particularly intrigued by the connection between sleep and memory. Sleep plays a crucial role in consolidating memories, helping us retain important experiences that shape future behavior.
When I was conducting overnight electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of older adults and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), I often had fascinating conversations with them. Their life stories were inspiring, but I was deeply moved by how these patients struggled to form new memories and continue their narratives. It underscored the importance of maintaining cognitive health as we age. If people could live to 120 with a clear mind, the impact on human knowledge, society, and culture would be immense.
What will your $75,000 grant from the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research be used for?
Omer Sharon: The grant will fund a study exploring the link between sleep and the buildup of tau and amyloid-beta proteins. We already know poor sleep is correlated with the accumulation of these proteins, but we don’t yet understand why. One hypothesis is that during sleep, cerebrospinal fluid clears waste, including these proteins, from the brain.
With this funding, we’ll study sleep in individuals with known levels of tau and amyloid-beta from positron emission tomography (PET) scans; measure cerebrospinal fluid flow during sleep; and analyze how it relates to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow and brain activity. By uncovering these mechanisms, we hope to identify strategies to improve brain health as we age.
What was your reaction to receiving the fellowship?
Omer Sharon: I was thrilled. This grant allows us to collect preliminary data and pursue research that could enhance our understanding of how sleep impacts aging and cognitive health. It’s an exciting time for this field, and this funding enables us to tackle important questions with far-reaching implications for aging populations worldwide.