ResearchThe lab in the past has focused on the neurobiological mechanism(s)underlying circadian rhythms generation at the systems neuroscience level,using mouse and Syriannamster as experimental animals.Viral-vector mediated RNAi,tract tracing and behavioral and physiological telemetry recording techniques are applied.Cre transgenic andconditional knockout mice were also used to characterize the potential roles of different cell types in the SCN in circadian rhythm generation.We also studied the possible epigeneticmechanism(s)involved in the developmental onset of clock functions in central and peripheral oscillators,with an initial focus on promoter DNA methylation of clock genes.