Chronobiology and Sleep Research
This section of the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology studies biological timing during the 24-hour day. Generally speaking, human alertness and attention (as well as countless other aspects of physiology) are governed by two mostly independent processes: a circadian oscillator that internally measures day length and consolidates some processes to daytime and others to nighttime, and a homeostatic hour-glass-like mechanism that determines the amount and intensity of sleep needed each day (Borbely et al., 1981). Our two groups study all aspects of these processes in mammals, from the molecular biology of cellular clocks to the pharmacology of sleep in human and mouse models.
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Borbely A.A. (1982) A two-process model of sleep regulation. Human Neurobiology 1:194-204.
