Sandra Ackermann completed her PhD at the Divisions of Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Basel, investigating effects of hormonal levels and variations in genes encoding hormone receptors on emotional memory performance in humans. During her work as a PhD-student she also became interested in the role of sleep in memory consolidation. In December 2012 Sandra Ackermann started her post-doctoral work at the Division of Biopsychology and the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich. Her current research focuses on the modulating effects of stress and cortisol on sleep and (emotional) memory consolidation during sleep.