My research focuses on the biological functions of various neuropeptide-encoding genes and their neurons in the central nervous system of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. In particular, we are interested in neuronal architecture and functions in the regulation of biological rhythms, feeding and metabolism. Other areas of research involve molecular mechanisms of neuropeptide gene regulation, and genetic and molecular basis of neuronal apoptosis during metamorphic changes of central nervous system. Technically, we routinely carry out molecular cloning works, immunocytochemistry, in situ hybridization, transformation, conventional fly genetics, and behavior assays. My research program has been supported by NSF and NIH.
No subject area
Neurogenetic Studies on the Role of DIAP1 in Neuronal Programmed Cell Death in Drosophila (with Faith V. Creekmore and Ritika Sehgal), University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects (2011)
Comparative Analysis of Pdf-Mediated Circadian Behaviors Between Drosophila melanogaster and D. virilis (with Jae Hoon Bahn and Gyunghee Lee), Genetics (2009)
A group of small ventrolateral neurons (s-LNv's) are the principal pacemaker for circadian locomotor rhythmicity...
The Bax/Bak ortholog in Drosophila, Debcl, exerts limited control over programmed cell death (with Kathleen A. Galindo, Wan-Jin Lu, and John M. Abrams), Development (2009)
Bcl-2 family members are pivotal regulators of programmed cell death (PCD). In mammals, pro-apoptotic Bcl-2...