The aim of this research is to generate a body of work capable of characterizing the neural and computational dynamics of consciousness during arousal(alertness) transitions. I do this by developing new mathematical tools for the analysis of complex systems and using existing measures embedded in a theoretically motivated framework. Primarily I use Electroencephalography to uncover alertness transitions in Humans and Local Field potentials to uncover alertness transitions in Flies (Drosophila Melanogaster). I'm currently funded by the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for my PhD program.