Description of Research Expertise

Research Interests
Molecular basis of behavior

Key words: circadian rhythms, sleep, genetics, metabolism, aging.

Description of Research
The laboratory seeks to understand the molecular and cellular networks that drive behavior, in particular rhythmic behaviors such as sleep. Our studies are done largely with the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, but we also work with mouse models and humans cells. The major goals are to understand how and why the drive to sleep is generated, in a daily circadian (24 hour) cycle and also sometimes against the circadian clock, e.g. when we are sleep-deprived.

Circadian (~24-hour) clocks endogenous to most organisms drive daily rhythms of sleep:wake and of most physiological processes. Any kind of desynchrony between endogenous clocks and the environment, as is caused by travel to a different time zone (jetlag) or by shift work, results in a multitude of physiological disturbances. Likewise, sleep disruption, which is common in modern society, results in severe metabolic and cognitive deficits.

Our research has provided insight into mechanisms of the circadian clock, how clocks synchronize to light and how clocks interact with body systems to drive rhythms of behavior and physiology. Building upon a Drosophila model for sleep that we developed several years ago, we have also identified genes and circuits that underlie the drive for sleep. Ongoing studies are revealing mechanisms and cellular functions for sleep. We are also studying the basis of sleep loss in disease states, such as neurodegeneration and neurodevelopmental disorders.