The research in my laboratory focuses on the relationship between the circadian clock, nutrition, metabolic diseases and aging. fastingA. The mechanism by which the energy status shifts the clock phase: We found that the energy status of the organism can shift the phase of the circadian clock, i.e., fasting leads to phase advances, and high-fat diet to phase delays. Changes in the phase and daily rhythm of clock genes and metabolic pathways, as a result of high-fat diet, may lead to obesity and may explain the disruption of other clock-controlled output systems, such as blood pressure and sleep/wake cycle, usually associated with metabolic disorders. In addition, we deciphered the mechanism and showed that phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the cellular energy sensor, and its downstream signaling pathway is the key metabolic gauge that can shift circadian rhythms.