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Humans, like many animals, are deeply affected by the changing seasons. When our internal body clocks fall out of sync with the shifting length of day and outside temperature, it can trigger significant physiological dysfunctions, ranging from fragmented sleep to the exacerbation of neuropsychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and schizophrenia. Our lab aims to uncover the neural circuits that regulate this fundamental process, with a specific focus on a specialized population of neurons within the Preoptic Area (POA) that we have previously identified. To understand how these cells orchestrate the body's response to seasonal cues, we utilize a multidisciplinary approach in mouse models, combining in vivo calcium imaging to monitor real-time neural dynamics with longitudinal EEG/EMG sleep recording and circadian analysis. By integrating neural circuit mapping, optogenetics and behavioral assays, we aim to functionally characterize how these POA circuits modulate sleep-wake cycles and seasonal adaptations. Ultimately, we seek to elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying seasonal rhythmicity to identify novel molecular and circuit-level targets for the treatment of seasonal and circadian-related brain pathologies. |
Anatomical location within Preoptic Area (POA) subdivisions of specialized POA neurons of the hypothalamus with extensive axonal arborization that might decode seasonal cues and drive adaptive behaviors in circadian, sleep/wake rhythms, and other physiological and behavioral processes.
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