Kimberly Cote

Professor, MSc, PhD (University of Ottawa), Psychology Department
Director, Brock University Sleep Laboratory

Office: MC E217
905 688-5550 x4806/3795
kcote@brocku.ca

Website

1993 Brock University, Psychology B.A.
1995 University of Toronto, Medical Science M.Sc.
1999 University of Ottawa, Experimental Psychology Ph.D.

Research Interests

Human Sleep Research

  • sleep deprivation and performance
  • cognition during sleep and wakefulness
  • sleep onset processes
  • insomnia
  • sleep and aging
  • topographic recording and analysis of EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs)
  • quantitative EEG analysis (power spectral analysis)
  • non-REM sleep phasic events: K-complexes and spindles

Today, many people intentionally cut down on sleep in order to make more time in the day for work and social demands. In addition, many people experience sleep disorders that disrupt sleep onset, sleep maintenance, or sleep efficiency. In all of these cases, the sleeper is experiencing a type of partial sleep loss. You need not pull and “all-nighter” to feel the ill effects on the next day! It is important to understand the extent of neurophysiological impairment resulting from this degree of sleep loss and the corresponding effect on daytime performance. This has widespread implications for work and scholastic performance, driving safety, military operations, and quality of life.

In order to investigate this relationship between sleep and daytime functioning, I employ a host of measures, including behavioural, EEG and event-related potentials (ERPs), which complement one another in the investigation of brain function and human behaviour. ERPs may be used to investigate cognitive processes that are associated with changing levels of arousal, such as speed of processing and attention. Both EEG and ERPs may be recorded from multiple electrode sites across the scalp, providing a topographic picture or “map” of on-going brain activity.

This general approach allows for investigation of moment-to-moment changes in brain physiology and performance during varying levels of sleepiness. These methods allow me to investigate a number of fascinating questions. Current research projects in the laboratory focus on examining the impact of varying degrees of sleep loss on brain function and performance, and the impact on emotion regulation in particular.

Funding

YearFunding
2019-2024Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada; Discovery Grant
2014-2019Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada; Discovery Grant
2009-2014Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada; Discovery Grant
2007National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), R21 grant
2004Premier’s Research Excellence Award (PREA)
2004-2009   Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Discovery Grants program
2001Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI), New Opportunities Fund / Ontario Innovation Trust Fund (OIT)
2000-2004Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Research Grants Program - Individual (RGPIN)
2000Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada, Equipment Grant (EQMEQ)

Professional affiliations

1989 to present — Canadian Sleep Society (CSS)
1992 to present — Sleep Research Society (SRS)

Selected Publications

View a complete list of publications on Google Scholar or visit the SleepLab Research website

Courses taught

Undergraduate Courses

  • PSYC 3F40 Psychological Research
  • PSYC 3P39 Computer Data Analysis
  • PSYC 3P68 Sleep & Wakefulness
  • PSYC 3P72 Drugs and Behaviour
  • PSYC 4P63 Human Psychophysiology
  • PSYC 4P93 Honours Thesis Seminar

Graduate Courses

  • PSYC 5P10 Behavioural Neuroscience (occasional lecturer)
  • PSYC 5P11 Advances in Sleep Research
  • PSYC 5Y51 Behavioural Neuroscience Focus Area Research Seminar