Since earning his BBiomedSci (Hons) degree from the University of Queensland in 2021, Louis de Waal has been working as a Research Assistant in the Sleep in Society research group at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). Additionally, he completed a year-long role as a Research Assistant with the Mind and Body Performance Patch team at the Queensland University of Technology.

As a member of the “sleep team,” Louis has worked on various projects, ranging from conducting overnight sleep deprivation trials with adults, to investigating the effects of light and sound on the sleep patterns of children. His responsibilities encompass participant management, as well as the collection and analysis of data.

Earliest digital memory

While I’m not sure if it was my earliest memory, one that stands out is visiting a friend’s house after school to play Star Fox 64 on his Nintendo-64. Since we didn’t have a game console growing up, this was my first exposure to this side of digital technology i.e., the gaming world. Looking back, I’d say that experience instilled in me an appreciation for the social aspects of digital technology, teaching lessons in co-operation and teamwork.