About Us

The Kriegsfeld Laboratory seeks to understand how biological clocks coordinate physiology and behavior to optimize health across the lifespan. Virtually every aspect of biology, from sleep and hormone secretion to cognition, metabolism, and immune function, is regulated by circadian rhythms. Our research examines the neural, endocrine, and molecular mechanisms that generate these daily rhythms and explores how disruption of circadian timing contributes to disease risk.

A major focus of our work is understanding how circadian systems interact with the brain's motivational, reproductive, and cognitive circuits. We investigate how biological clocks regulate female reproductive physiology, influence reward processing and mood in bipolar disorder, and shape healthy brain aging. By combining approaches from neuroscience, endocrinology, behavior, and physiology, we aim to uncover fundamental mechanisms through which circadian rhythms promote health and resilience. Ultimately, our goal is to identify novel strategies to prevent and treat disorders associated with circadian disruption, including fertility, mood disorders, and age-associated cognitive decline.