I began my scientific career as a neuroscientist interested in how genes regulate behavior. A series of inspiring mentors propelled me to pursue those interests across industry and academia.
I've since worked with many scientists on projects in plants, flies, zebrafish, mice and people. This work has focused on the function of noncoding RNAs; building a Gene Atlas of the mouse, human and rat transcriptomes; and cell-based screening, among others.
I'm particularly interested in genome biology with a focus on the circadian clock. In my lab at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, we work to uncover the mechanisms of the circadian clock and apply that knowledge to medicine. For example, our lab has discovered several core clock genes and proven that they regulate physiology and behavior. This includes my discovery of the transcription factor Bmal1 — the master regulator of the mammalian clock — along with its paralog, Bmal2, and its partner, Npas2. Later, my lab characterized Rora/Rorb/Roc as key regulators of Bmal1 and circadian function. We also discovered Chrono as a non-canonical repressor of Bmal1/Clock, and Kpnb1 as a required transporter of the PER/CRY complex.