DANDRITE welcomes new member of the Scientific Advisory Board
Professor at the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Anita Lüthi steps in as new member of the DANDRITE's Scientific Advisory Board, replacing Professor Yang Dan.
DANDRITE is delighted to welcome Professor Anita Lüthi, a leading neuroscientist at the University of Lausanne, to its Scientific Advisory Board. Anita Lüthi brings decades of experience in sleep neuroscience and a wealth of expertise spanning cellular, systems, and translational research.
Anita Lüthi leads a research group at the Department of Fundamental Neurosciences at the University of Lausanne. She earned her PhD in 1995 at the Brain Research Institute of the University of Zürich and completed postdoctoral work at Yale University and Columbia University, where she investigated ionic and synaptic signaling underlying the rhythmic activity of the sleeping brain. Following positions at the University of Basel and Lausanne, she became Associate Professor in 2014.
Her research focuses on the neuroscience of sleep, particularly how sleep supports brain health and plasticity. Lüthi’s recent work has revealed that the wake-promoting neurotransmitter noradrenaline plays a critical role in maintaining sleep’s balance between continuity and fragility. This research has opened new avenues for collaboration with human sleep researchers and for understanding and treating sleep disorders.
Reflecting on her new role, Anita Lüthi says, “I consider it one of the most honorable duties to share my experience in academic research with the younger generation. My work bridges fundamental sleep research and clinical applications, and I hope to contribute perspectives that connect these domains.”
As a former president of the Swiss Neuroscience and Physiological Societies and a panel member for the Swiss National Science Foundation, Anita Lüthi brings valuable experience in research management, community building, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She emphasizes the importance of listening first to identify the priorities and opportunities where her expertise can best support DANDRITE’s Group Leaders.
DANDRITE welcomes Anita Lüthi’s contributions in guiding research strategy, fostering interdisciplinary exchange, and mentoring the next generation of neuroscientists. She will participate in her first SAB-meeting in May 2026.