Network organization of the circadian clock

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A circadian clock located in the hypothalamus regulates daily rhythms of physiology and behaviour. Understanding how this clock functions is the long term goal of my research program. We know that the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) contains a number of specialized cell types, each of which performs a specific role. Together, these different cell populations form a cohesive circadian clock. Two related and important questions in chronobiology are “How are these cell populations networked together to form a cohesive clock?” and “How are these networks modified by experience?” The goal of the present proposal is to first elucidate network properties of the circadian clock, and then to determine how these networks are modified by experience.