Genes Regulating Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture presented by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
Genes Regulating Sleep and Circadian Rhythms
Date: Mar. 25, 2021
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Virtual Access: This public lecture will be offered virtually via Zoom. Please register in advance to access the log-in details.
Event Details: Based on the pandemic spread, this event may be offered in a virtual-only format. Details to be determined closer to 2021.
Talk Abstract: We have identified genes that control the circadian rhythms of Drosophila. Interactions among these genes and their proteins set up a network of oscillations within single cells. These oscillations are autonomously generated, are found in most tissues, and establish rhythms in physiology and behavior. This mechanism is conserved within the animal kingdom: similar "clock" genes regulate patterns of sleep and other rhythms in humans. A common form of human insomnia called Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD) is characterized by a persistent and intractable delay in the timing of the major sleep episode. A study of several DSPD subjects allowed us to recognize a specific clock gene variant that affects behavioral, physiological and molecular circadian rhythms of carriers under controlled laboratory conditions. Our results are consistent with the candidate allele encoding a dominant, hyperactive transcription factor that alters sleep and circadian rhythms by lengthening the period of the circadian clock.
Additional Details
This is a free event hosted by Dr. Michael Friedlander and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. For more information, please call 540-526-2059 or send an e-mail.
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About Maury Strauss
Maury Strauss is a longtime community benefactor and businessman who supports biomedical research with the goal of energizing the local economy and improving quality of life in our neighborhoods and around the world. The founder of the Strauss Development Corp., a real estate development firm, Mr. Strauss and his family learned about the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, and the work done here. In order to ensure the continued success of Roanoke’s biomedical research enterprise, as well as the free, public seminars by the world’s leading scientists, Mr. Strauss has made a generous gift to the series, which has been renamed in his honor as the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture Series. Read VT News Story
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