William Ja

William Ja, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Florida, where he leads the SR-NEURO-JA LAB. He holds additional affiliations in Metabolism and Aging research. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (2004) and a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from UC Berkeley (1998). Prior to his current role, Dr. Ja served as an Assistant Professor at Scripps Research (2010-2015) and a Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech under Dr. Seymour Benzer (2005-2009).

Dr. Ja's research centers on Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism, with three primary foci: (1) Symbiotic microorganism interactions affecting gut microbiota, nutrition, and host aging; (2) Genetic pathways linking nutrition to aging, utilizing metabolomics and lipidomics; (3) Development of novel tools to quantify feeding behavior and analyze neuronal mechanisms of appetite regulation.

His publication trends reveal deep expertise in Drosophila neurogenetics, metabolic regulation, and microbiome dynamics, with recent work emphasizing sleep-metabolism interactions, taste sensitization, and lifespan modulation. Methodological innovations like the EX-Q system for feeding measurement are notable contributions.

Awards and honors include:

• Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Award (2011-2015)
• Glenn Award for Biological Mechanisms of Aging (2010)
• NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2008-2013)
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (1998-2001)
• Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship (1997-1998)

Current research is supported by an active NIDCD grant (2022-present) investigating TRP channel regulation of feeding behavior. His laboratory employs multidisciplinary approaches integrating chemistry, genetics, and neurobiology to address fundamental questions in aging and behavior.