About
Jing Zhang, PhD is a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she studies how brain oscillations during sleep affect memory consolidation. She earned her BSc in Psychology from Furman University and her doctorate in cognitive sciences from the University of California, Irvine. She has authored 12+ peer-reviewed articles in journals including Nature Neuroscience and Sleep, and presented research on sleep and emotional memory consolidation at the SLEEP annual meeting in 2022. At Sleep Junkie, she…
Jing Zhang is a prominent figure in the realm of sleep research, specializing in the intricate connection between sleep and memory. With an extensive research tenure exceeding 7 years, she delves into the neural underpinnings of these processes. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, she unravels the enigma of memory formation during sleep.
Having authored a plethora of 12+ publications in esteemed journals including Nature Neuroscience, Jing sheds light on the complex nexus between sleep stages, memory consolidation, and neurological disorders. Leveraging her adeptness in cognitive neuroscience and proficiency in neuroimaging methodologies like EEG and fMRI, she meticulously gathers and scrutinizes data pertaining to sleep and memory formation. Her research findings have graced international conferences, disseminating invaluable insights.
Experience
Beyond her scholarly pursuits, Jing is ardently committed to democratizing sleep research, contributing her expertise to media platforms and conferences. Her aim is to empower individuals with the knowledge to optimize sleep for cognitive well-being. Jing’s academic credentials include a BSc in Psychology with a minor in Gender Studies from Furman University, conferred in 2016. She is poised to culminate her doctoral pursuits at UC Irvine in 2026.
Jing’s impact is further underscored by her 12+ peer-reviewed articles in eminent journals like Nature Neuroscience and Sleep. Notably, she presented groundbreaking research elucidating menstrual cycle-related shifts in sleep and emotional memory consolidation at the SLEEP annual meeting in 2022. Additionally, she undertook the role of lecturer, enlightening undergraduate students on the nuances of sleep alterations with aging.
Education
Prior to embarking on her doctoral journey, Jing honed her research acumen as an undergraduate at Furman University, followed by a two-year stint at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. This diverse exposure laid the foundation for her current standing as a luminary in the realm of sleep research.
Dr. Zhang’s Role at Sleep Junkie
Dr. Zhang may review articles for Sleep Junkie related to sleep science, memory consolidation, and cognitive health when those topics require her expertise.
As part of our expert review board, she reviews where assigned to check that articles reflect current neuroscience research and that claims about how sleep affects the brain stay within what the evidence supports.

