Talk by Ruth Li, PhD, University of Tsukuba, Japan
The SCN-DMH neural pathway regulates circadian output from the central clock
- Date: Sep 1, 2025
- Time: 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
- Speaker: Ruth Li, PhD
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Tsukuba, Institute of Medicine; International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS), Hirano lab/ Shi lab
- Location: MPI for Metabolism Research, Gleueler Strasse 50, 50931 Köln
- Room: Seminar room 1
- Host: Dr. Shuntaro Izawa
- Contact: shuntaro.izawa@sf.mpg.de
- Topic: Discussion and debate formats, lectures
Most organisms exhibit circadian rhythms—approximately 24-hour cycles of physiological fluctuations—governed by a “central clock.” In mammals, this central clock resides in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The SCN functions as an autonomous oscillator, generating near-24-hour rhythms through cellular transcription–translation feedback loops (TTFLs) and neuronal connections within the SCN. However, the neural outputs of the SCN and their role in driving circadian rhythms have long remained poorly understood. One of the many regions receiving projections from the SCN is the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH), which is critical for homeostatic regulation of body temperature, feeding, and metabolism. Our group investigates the role of the neural circuitry connecting the SCN and DMH in the regulation of behavioral and metabolic rhythms, and I will be presenting our latest findings on this topic.