Gene Block

Gene Block is a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology within UCLA's College of Letters and Science. His research focuses on circadian rhythms, neural mechanisms of biological clocks, and their implications for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Block earned his B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University (1970), followed by an M.S. (1972) and Ph.D. (1975) in Psychology from the University of Oregon. His academic career spans over five decades with continuous contributions to chronobiology.

His research examines circadian regulation in health and disease, particularly investigating how light exposure, sleep disruption, and molecular clock mechanisms influence conditions like autism spectrum disorders, Huntington's disease, and metabolic disorders. Recent work demonstrates how ultradian light cycles mitigate circadian misalignment in neurodevelopmental models, while ketogenic interventions improve circadian dysfunction in Huntington's models.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on translational chronobiology, with significant focus on circadian-based interventions for neurological disorders (73% of articles), molecular clock mechanisms (60%), and light therapy applications (53%). His work consistently bridges basic circadian neuroscience with clinical applications.

Block maintains active laboratory operations at UCLA, collaborating extensively with researchers in neuroscience, psychiatry, and endocrinology. His team employs advanced methodologies including in vivo neural recording, transgenic mouse models, and circadian phenotyping to investigate clock mechanisms across multiple biological scales.