Circadian Clock Networks and Timekeeping in the Brain
Official title: Network Properties of Circadian Clock Modulation and Entrainment
Funded at Trustees of Indiana University · NIH-11380846 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers study how the brain’s clock network keeps daily rhythms and how environmental cues like light help or hinder them, using fruit flies to uncover ideas that could help people with circadian-related health issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Trustees of Indiana University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bloomington, United States) |
| Project start | December 1, 2012 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $386,768 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS077933-15 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380846 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not directly recruiting patients; findings may inform future human studies on circadian health.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient participation is involved in this stage of the research.
What this research studies
This project investigates how brain networks regulate internal circadian timekeeping and how external cues influence entrainment, focusing on Drosophila as a model. By mapping connections and signaling within clock neuron networks, scientists aim to understand how misalignment affects physiology and behavior. The findings could inform strategies to mitigate health problems linked to irregular circadian rhythms in humans. Through iterative experiments, the team will explore how time cues impact neural activity and clock synchronization.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of circadian biology could lead to new approaches to improve sleep, metabolism, and overall health in people facing circadian disruption.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in clock networks has provided insights into how simple models relate to mammalian systems, supporting translational potential.
Where this research is happening
-
Trustees of Indiana University
Bloomington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shafer, Orie T — Trustees of Indiana University
- Study coordinator: Shafer, Orie T
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Cloud-based tools to find genes linked to congenital heart defects in kids
Aimed at building and using cloud-based biostatistical tools to identify genes related to congenital heart defects in children using large pediatric datasets.
-
Understanding how extreme weather and disasters affect women’s health in sub-Saharan Africa
A data-driven project uses mobile phone data and AI to study how shocks like weather disasters and conflicts impact women’s health in sub-Saharan Africa.
-
Cash transfers in South Africa to reduce dementia risk in later life
This project tests whether government cash transfers in rural South Africa help protect people’s thinking and memory as they age.
-
Functional lipids shape memory of membrane proteins like Kir channels and GPCRs
A research project will study how cholesterol and other lipids in cell membranes affect how membrane proteins work, using advanced NMR and computer simulations, with results that could inform understanding of how these proteins contribute to disease.
-
Understanding HIV immune escape to guide vaccines and cures
Researchers are building a robust computational method to identify universal HIV escape patterns across diverse viral strains to help design better vaccines and therapies for people living with HIV.
-
Personalized brain stimulation to boost memory in aging and dementia
This project uses personalized, adaptive brain stimulation to try to improve memory and thinking in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.