معرفی
Mark Wu is a Professor of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University, leading research on neural circuits and the neurobiology of sleep. His work focuses on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying sleep regulation using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Key areas include circadian clock-neuron interactions, dopamine networks, and synaptic plasticity related to sleep-wake cycles.
Research emphasizes genetic screens, electrophysiology, and functional imaging to study how circadian rhythms influence sleep timing. Notable contributions include discoveries about WIDE AWAKE's role in clock neuron excitability and sleep regulation, with implications for mammalian systems. Investigations into dopamine circuits explore their roles in arousal and feeding behaviors.
Current projects analyze amygdalar oscillators coordinating behavioral rhythms, functional connectivity changes during sleep deprivation, and astroglial signaling encoding sleep need. The lab employs cutting-edge tools like genetic reagents and in vivo patch-clamp electrophysiology.
Advising includes graduate student Jiali Xiong and postdoctoral researchers Sang Soo Lee, Qiang Liu, Mehmet Keles, and Anu Mehta. Research has been published in top journals including Neuron, Cell, and Science.
Lab activities center on dissecting how internal states and external stimuli interact through neural circuits, with particular attention to sleep's role in synaptic plasticity and disease mechanisms.
