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Dean Joan
C. Hendricks, Ph.D.,
V.M.D.
The Gilbert S. Kahn Dean of Veterinary Medicine
School of Veterinary Medicine
110 Rosenthal Building
3800 Spruce Street
Phone: 215 898-8841; FAX: 215 573-8837
Click here for selected publications since Dr. Hendricks' arrival at Penn
Since January 1, 2006, I have been serving as the Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania. I no longer maintain a lab, but continue to have the interests described below.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Molecular basis of sleep regulation and function
RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Behavioral, gene expression profiling, and biochemical assays to characterize correlates of states of arousal in Drosophila; mutagenesis to identify genes involved in sleep-like rest homeostasis; drug testing and mutagenesis for novel mechanisms of wake promotion.RESEARCH SUMMARY
After decades of studying physiology and anatomy of sleep and an animal model of sleep apnea (the English bulldog), I have turned my attention to a simpler model-Drosophila. I showed, using behavioral, pharmacological, and molecular approaches, that Drosophila's rest state has sleep-like properties. We have since used this model organism to show that the cAMP-PKA-CREB signaling pathway is involved in rest regulation as well as its well-known role in Long-Term Memory consolidation. This role is conserved in mice. The research program is rapidly expanding to use the Drosophila model to discover genes involved in rest homeostasis using comprehensive mutagenesis as well as the candidate gene approach. We are also collaborating with other researchers in the Center for Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology to characterize the biochemical profile of rest and waking in flies. We are also using wake-promoting drugs whose mechanism is poorly understood as a probe to identify the genetic basis of rest and waking in flies.
KEY WORDS:
Drosophila; mutagenesis; sleep-like rest; behavioral genetics
