Sækja ferilskrá / CV : Karl Ægir Karlsson

PhD University of Iowa, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, 2005.
MA University of Iowa, Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, 2002.
BA University of Iceland, Psychology, 1999.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the School of Science and Engineering at Reykjavik University. 2006 - present
Postdoctoral Scholar in the laboratory of Dr. Jerome Siegel professor at the UCLA School of medicine and the Veterans Administration during 2005
Research Assistant, the University of Iowa, 2000-2005.
Clinical Sleep Technician, National University Hospital, Iceland, 1999-2000.
Systems Development/testing, Flaga Inc. (now MedCare Inc.), Iceland 1999-2000.
Fisherman, 1985 - 1998.

CURRENT RESEARCH
1. Novel statistical parameters of sleep-wake cyclicity across the lifespan.
The aim is to build a databank of novel statistical parameters that can be used to assess sleep and sleep quality and describe how they differ across normal human development.
2. The role of sleep related movements in motor development.
The aim is to characterize the role of sleep-related movements in motor development in human neonates.
Projects 1 and 2 are supported by the EU (Marie Curie No 0444329 awarded to KÆK).
No collaborators.
Role: Principal investigator.
3. Dynamics of sleep-wake cycles in fetal sheep.
The aim is to describe the distribution of the various sleep-releated parameters in fetal, precocial mammal.
Collaboration with researchers at the University of Iowa and Yale University.
Role: Co-Investigator.
4. Dorsomedial hypothalamic activity patterns and emotional expression in humans.
The aim is to employ the fMRI imaging technique to assess the activity levels of hypothalamic (hypocretin) neurons while manipulating the emotional state of a healthy human subject.
Supported by the Icelandic Centre for Research (No 07043021 awarded to KÆK)
Collaboration with researchers at UCLA, Medical University of Vienna and Hjartavernd.
Role: Principal investigator.
5. Intracranial pressure and sleep.
The aim is to document the relationship betweed disordered breathing and intracranial pressure in sleep.
Collaboration with a consortium of MD´s at the National University Hospital.
Supported by the Icelandic Centre for Research (awarded to Dr. T. Gislason).
Role: Co-Investigator.

Grants
Marie Curie International Reintergration Grant (EU) awarded for the project: Sleep development: Statistical properties and role of movement-related neural  events. Direct cost over 3 years: 80.000 Euros.

Icelandic Research Council pilot grant awarded for the project: Hypothalamic responses to emotional stimuli. Direct cost: 500.000 ISK

celandic Research Council grant awarded for the project: Hypothalamic responses to emotional stimuli. Direct cost over 1 1/2 years: 4.160.000 ISK

Icelandic Research Council pilot grant awarded for the project: Sleep-wake dynamics in fetal sheep. Direct cost: 500.000 ISK

Icelandic Research Council; awarded for purchasing equioment for the project: Zebrafish model - habitat and equipment for behavioral analysis. Direct cost: 1.500.000 ISK

Icelandic Research Council; awarded for running costs of the project: Zebrafish model - habitat and equipment for behavioral analysis. Direct cost: 14.000.000 ISK (over 3 years).

Awards
The University of Iowa 2005 Lewis award.
The 2004 Gormezano Research Award.
National Bank of Iceland: 2004-5 scholarship
Thor Thors Memorial fund: 2003-4 scholarship.

Ad hoc reviewer for the journals: Epilepsia, Behavioral Brain Research and Behavioral Neuroscience.
Ad hoc reviewer for the APSS annual congress
Ad hoc reviewer for the Icelandic Research Council

Ad hoc reviewer for the National University Hospital

Peer reviewed publications in English
Mohns, E. J., Karlsson, K. Æ., & Blumberg, M.S.  (2007) Developmental emergence of transient and persistent hippocampal events and oscillations and their association to infant seizure suseptibility. European Journal of Neuroscience. Vol, 26, 2719-2730.

Blumberg, M.S., Karlsson, K. Æ. & Seelke, A. M. (2007) Sleep, development and human health. Sleep. Vol, 30, 549-550.

Karlsson, K.Æ.,Vianna Di Prisco, G., Mohns, E.J. & Blumberg. (2006) On the co-occurrence of startles and hippocampal sharp waves in infant rats. Hippocampus. Vol, 16, 959-965

Mohns, E. J., Karlsson, K. Æ., & Blumberg, M.S. (2006) The Ventrolateral Preoptic Area and Basal Forebrain Play Opposing Roles in the Descending Modulation of Sleep and Wakefulness in Infant Rats. European Journal of Neuroscience. Vol, 23 1301-1310.

Blumberg, M.S., Seelke, A. M., Lowen, S.B., & Karlsson, K. Æ. (2005) Dynamics of Sleep-Wake Cyclicity in Developing Rats. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol, 102, 14860-14864.

Seelke, A. M., Karlsson, K. Æ., Gall, A. J. & Blumberg M. S. (2005) Extraocular Muscle Activity, Rapid Eye Movements, and the Development of Active and Quiet Sleep. European Journal of Neuroscience. 22, 911-920.

Karlsson, K. Æ., Gall, A. J. Mohns, E. J. & Blumberg, M.S. (2005) The Neural Substrates of Infant Sleep in Rats. Public Library of Science Biology. 3(5): e143

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M.S. (2005) Active Control of Atonia in Week-Old Rats. Neuroscience. 130, 275-283.

Blumberg, M.S., Karlsson, K. Æ., Seelke, A.M.H. & Mohns, E. The Ontogeny of Mammalian Sleep: A Reply to Frank and Heller (2003). Journal of Sleep Research, 14, 91-101.  

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M.S. (2004) Temperature-Induced Reciprocal Activation of Hippocampal Field Activity in vivo. Journal of Neurophysiology, 91, 583-588.

Karlsson, K. Æ., Kreider, J.C.  & Blumberg, M.S. (2004) Hypothalamic Contributions to Sleep-Wake Cycle Development, Neuroscience, 123, 575-582.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. (2003). Hippocampal Theta in the Newborn Rat is Revealed Under Conditions That Promote REM sleep.  The Journal of Neuroscience, 23(4) 1114-1118.

 Karlsson, K. Æ., & Blumberg, M. S. (2002). Union of the State: Myoclonic Twitching is Coupled with Muscle Atonia in Infant Rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 116, 912-917.

Peer reviewed publications in Icelandic
Karlsson, K. Æ., Ingadottir, S., Halldorsdottir, B., Gislason, T., & Bjornsson, E. (2004) Ambulatory measuraments are better tolerated than in-hospital measuresments of sleep apnea. Læknablaðið (Journal of the Icelandic Medical Association). Vol 90, 311-3.

Karlsson, K. Æ. (2000). What makes Wittgenstein a non-behaviorist? Hugur (Icelandic Journal of Philosophy). Vol  10-11,  88-100.

Other publications
Fjölvar Darri Rafnsson, Karl Ægir Karlsson & Matthías Gísli Þorvaldsson (2000). Ungir Ökumenn. Reykjavík, Dómsmálaráðuneytið. 

Conference Presentations

 Fürsatz, M., Windischberger, C., Karlsson K.Æ., Moser, E. Successful fMRI of the hypothalamus at 3T. International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 2008, Toronto, Canada.

 Blouin, A.M., Fried, I., Staba, R.J., Behnke, E.J., Lam, H.A., Maidment, N.T., Karlsson, K.Æ., Ackerson, L.C., Wilson, C.L., Siegel, J.M.,  Hypocretin Release During Wake and Sleep in the Human Brain. Society for Neuroscience 2007, San Diego, CA.

Karlsson K.Æ., Mohns, E.J., Vianna di Prisco, G., & Blumberg M.S. Are Hippocampal Sharp Waves and Startles Causally Linked?
Society for Neuroscience 2005, Washington, DC.

Seelke, A.M.H., Karlsson, K.Æ., Gall, A. & Blumberg, M. The Ontogeny of Sleep-Related Phasic Activity in the Infant Rat.
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2005, Washington, DC.

Mohns, E.J., Karlsson K.Æ., & Blumberg M.S. The Ventrolateral Preoptic Area and Basal Forebrain Play Opposing Roles in the Descending Modulation of Sleep-Wake Cyclicity in Infant rats.
Associated Professional Sleep Societies 2005, Denver, CO.

Karlsson, K. Æ. Mohns, E.J., & Blumberg, M. S. The Neural Substrates of Infant sleep.
Associated Professional Sleep Societies 2005, Denver, CO.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Medullary Control of REM Sleep Atonia in Infant Rats.
Society for Neuroscience 2004, San Diego CA.

Mohns, E., Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Hypothalamic Modulation of Sleep-Wake Cyclicity in Infant Rats.
Society for Neuroscience 2004, San Diego CA.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Effects of Brain Temperature on Hippocampal Activity in Anesthetized Infant Rats.
Society for Neuroscience 2003, New Orleans, LA.

Blumberg, M.S., Karlsson, K. Æ. and Kreider, J.C. Hypothalamic Contributions to Sleep Cycle Development,
Society for Neuroscience 2003, New Orleans, LA.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Nuchal Atonia and Hippocampal Theta Characterize the Sleep of Rats as Two days of Age.
Associated Professional Sleep Societies 2003, Chicago, IL.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Active sleep or REM sleep: Lets call the whole thing off.
Society for Neuroscience 2002, Orlando, Fl.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Hippocampal Theta in Neonatal Rats.
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2002, Orlando, FL.

Karlsson, K. Æ. & Blumberg, M. S. Union of the State: An Argument for Developmental Continuity Between Active and REM sleep.
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2001, San Diego, Cal.

Karlsson K. Æ., Bjornsson E, Halldorsdottir B, Ingadottir S, Gislason T.
Patients prefer ambulatory CPAP follow-up compared to in-hospital.
European Sleep Research Society, 2000, Istanbul, Turkey.

Karlsson K. Æ., Kjartansson G, Gunnarsdottir A, Ingadottir S, Gislason T,
Tomasson K. Health related quality of life in untreated sleep apnea syndrome
and after one year of CPAP treatment.
European Sleep Research Society, 2000, Istanbul, Turkey.

Talks and Public Lectures
Hypothalamic Contributions to Sleep Cycle Development: The Role of the Medulla.
Associated Professional Sleep Societies, 2004, Philadelphia, PA.  

The Ontogeny of Hippocampal Population Patterns.
Northwestern University, Chicago, Il. Spring 2004.

Hypothalamic Contributions to Sleep Cycle Development.
nternational Society for Developmental Psychobiology, 2003, New Orleans, LA.

Sharp waves and startles: A mechanistc link betwee two early neonatal sleep events.               The 12^th nordic sleep conference, Bergen, Norway.

Press Coverage
Press coverage of: Karlsson et al., (2005) The Neural Substrates of Infant Sleep in Rats (PLoS Biology).

Washington times: accessed 20th of April 2005 at 16:46
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20050418-091758-8038r.htm

National Geographic: accessed 20th of April 2005 at 16:47
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/04/0419_050419_sleep.html

Washington Post: accessed at May 9th 2005 at 09:10
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/08/AR2005050800789.html