Kyle Sullivan

Research:

The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is considered the mammalian "master clock" due to its capacity to receive direct photic input from the retina, resulting in entrainment of metabolic and behavioral processes to a 24 hour cycle. I am interested in the underlying cellular mechanisms in the SCN that result in entrainment to a diurnal cycle, and how this molecular machinery works endogenously in the absence of timing cues. In particular, I aim to understand how regulation of the ERK/MAPK signaling pathway regulates the process of circadian entrainment.