Download UCLA Molecular Biology Institute

UCLA Molecular Biology Institute
Thursday Seminar Series
"Clinical, genetic, and biochemical
characterization of human circadian
regulation"
Thursday, September 24th
4:00 PM**
Boyer Hall 159
Louis Ptacek, MD
Department of Neurology
University of California, San Francisco
Molecular Biology Institute
Phone: 310.825.1018
Fax: 310.206.7286
Web: www.mbi.ucla.edu
Sleep regulation is a very mysterious phenomenon. Despite the fact that sleep is an essential component of the human experience occupying ~ 1/3 of our lives, little is known
about what sleep is and what purposes it serves. It is clear that chronic disruption of
sleep leads to increased risks of not only motor vehicle accidents, but also many diseases like cancer, obesity and diabetes, autoimmune disorders, neurodegeneration, and
psychiatric diseases. We’ve reported genes and mutations that cause people to be extreme morning larks (lifelong tendency to go to sleep and to wake up very early). We and
our collaborators have also reported the first families and gene/mutation causing people
to be natural short sleepers, with a life-long requirement of only 4-6 hours of sleep/night
to feel good and perform at a high level. We’ve used human genetics in combination with
various modern molecular biology and neuroscience technologies to help reveal basic
mechanistic insights underlying the mysteries of sleep behavior. Our vision for this work
is to ultimately improve human safety and health. Insights into the details of sleep mechanisms will ultimately lead to better sleep medicines for travelers and shift workers. In addition to decreasing disease risks, such medications will also be used in conjunction with
**Join us prior to seminar at 3:00 pm on the Boyer Patio for an eLife
discussion, ‘Why consider eLife for your next high impact paper: insight from
the editors,” led by Drs. Louis Ptacek (UCSF), Peter Tontonoz (UCLA), &
Stephen Young (UCLA). Pizza and refreshments will be served.
HOST: Peter Tontonoz, [email protected]