In mammals, a hierarchical system of circadian clock cells in the brain and throughout the body orchestrates daily patterns of physiology and behavior. These daily patterns persist under constant conditions as "circadian rhythms". Our lab studies circadian rhythms in single cells using bioluminescence imaging to monitor clock gene expression, multielectrode arrays to monitor neuronal firing, and fluorescence imaging to monitor cytoplasmic calcium. We are interested in the autonomy, heterogeneity, and coupling of cellular circadian clocks, particularly the "master" clock cells of the brain, the neurons of the suprachiasmatic nucleus. We are also interested in how defects in these mechanisms may contribute to sleep and circadian rhythm disorders in humans.
