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Kyunghee Koh, Ph.D.

Research Assistant Professor 
Department of Neuroscience
Office: Stemmler Hall
Tel: 215- 898-1177
Fax: 215-573-2015
Email:  kkoh@mail.med.upenn.edu

Click here for selected publications since Dr. Koh's arrival at Penn

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Molecular genetics of sleep and circadian rhythms in Drosophila.

RESEARCH TECHNIQUES

Genetics, molecular biology, cell culture, behavioral assays of fruit flies .

RESEARCH SUMMARY

Behavior and physiology have daily rhythms that are controlled by an internal circadian clock. Our daily sleep:wake cycle is one prominent example. We are interested in understanding the molecular basis of circadian rhythms and sleep. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster , has emerged as a powerful model system for studying these molecular mechanisms. Several genes that regulate the circadian clock (and cause sleep disorders when mutated in humans) were first discovered in the fly. To identify additional components, we conduct genetic screens for circadian and sleep mutants and investigate the functions of the genes identified in the screens using a combination of behavioral assays and molecular, genetic, and cell biology techniques. For example, we recently discovered that a novel gene (which we named “ jetlag ”) is essential for resetting the Drosophila clock in response to light by targeting a core clock protein called TIMELESS for degradation.

KEY WORDS:

Circadian Rhythms; Sleep; Light entrainment; Aging