Like a lot of students, Matt Williams’s studies have caused him to miss sleep on occasion. But unlike most others, Williams is schooled in the pitfalls of sleep deprivation. As a research assistant for psychology associate professor Tracey Kahan, Williams works in Santa Clara’s sleep lab—one of the few sleep science centers in the country where undergraduates can gain hands-on research.

A psychobiology major who is considering graduate work and possibly medical school, Williams says the research is rewarding and fascinating.

“Working with Dr. Kahan has given me great insight into how research is done at a high level,” he says. “The questions we are asking and trying to answer are interesting to me on a personal level, but are also very exciting because our field is a relatively new area of study.”