Hugh Piggins

Hugh Piggins, BSc, PhD is an Honorary Professor in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Gastroenterology within the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at the University of Manchester. His research focuses on circadian biology with particular emphasis on the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as the master circadian clock in mammals.

His primary research interests include:

• Mechanisms of biological timing and circadian clocks
• Relationship between molecular clocks and neuronal electrical activity
• Circadian function deterioration during aging
• Role of neuropeptides in circadian regulation
• Habenula circadian properties and neuropsychiatric implications

Piggins employs advanced techniques including whole-cell patch clamp recording, bioluminescent reporters, and mathematical modeling to investigate circadian mechanisms. His recent work demonstrates how timed exercise can stabilize behavioral rhythms in aged mice and explores the therapeutic potential of photo-activatable melatonin receptor ligands.

Notable research contributions include:

• Discovery of depolarization patterns in SCN neurons during high period1 expression
• Identification of habenula as an intrinsic circadian oscillator
• Development of exercise-based interventions for circadian dysfunction

Piggins actively supervises research students and contributes to academic programs through teaching Advanced Behavioural Neurobiology (Biol30351) and Chronobiology (Biol31431) courses. He serves as Tutor for 3rd year Zoology students and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects related to aging research through the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing.