Gooley, Joshua J

Research Interests:

Our laboratory is interested in the neural pathways which mediate synchronization of the human circadian timing system, and the interaction of sleep and circadian rhythms in determining daily patterns of human physiology and neurobehavioral performance.

Background.

Chronic sleep loss and circadian misalignment adversely affect human health. Inadequate daily sleep, such as that experienced by shift workers and individuals with sleep disorders, is associated with a higher risk of developing obesity, gastrointestinal disorders, and heart disease. Furthermore, acute sleep loss profoundly impairs alertness, cognitive performance, and judgment, resulting in an increased risk of automobile- and work-related accidents. Defining the neural pathways which regulate sleep and circadian rhythms is important for the development of better therapies (e.g., light therapy and drug interventions) to prevent and/or treat the adverse consequences of sleep loss and circadian misalignment.

Non-visual photoreception.

In addition to the role of the eye in sight, ocular photoreceptors mediate non-visual processes including resetting of circadian rhythms, suppression of the pineal gland hormone melatonin, and the pupillary light reflex. Classical visual photoreceptors (i.e., rods and cones) and melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cells are thought to mediate non-visual responses to light, but their relative contributions in normally-sighted humans is unknown. We aim to elaborate the complex interaction between visual photoreceptors and melanopsin cells in the regulation of circadian rhythms. To address this, our laboratory is investigating the effects of light duration, irradiance, wavelength, and pattern on non-visual light responses. The goal of these studies is to improve the efficacy of light therapy for treatment of circadian rhythm sleep disorders, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and non-seasonal depression.

Interaction of sleep and circadian rhythms.

In humans, the daily pattern of consolidated sleep-wake, alertness, and performance is determined by the interaction of two processes; the homeostatic buildup and dissipation of sleep pressure, and the circadian rhythm of sleep/wake propensity. Our laboratory is interested in how sleep and circadian rhythms interact to influence neurobehavioral performance and metabolism. We are examining the pathophysiological consequences of sleep loss and circadian misalignment on energy balance, including hormones that influence food intake and meal size. The results of these studies will be used to develop a model for the regulation of energy balance and appetite under normal conditions, and in response to insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment (e.g., in shift work, jet-lag, and insomnia).

Selected Publications:

Zaidi FH, Hull JT, Peirson SN, Wulff K, Aeschbach D, Gooley JJ, Brainard GC, Gregory-Evans K, Rizzo JF 3rd, Czeisler CA, Foster RG, Moseley MJ, Lockley SW (2007) Short-wavelength light sensitivity of circadian, pupillary, and visual awareness in humans lacking an outer retina. Curr Biol, 17(24):2122-8.

Czeisler CA and Gooley JJ (2007) Sleep and circadian rhythms in humans. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol, 72:579-97. Review

Gooley JJ and Saper CB (2007) Is food-directed behavior an appropriate measure of circadian entrainment to restricted daytime feeding? (2007) J Biol Rhythms, 22(6):479-83.

Gooley JJ, Schomer A, Saper CB (2006) The dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus is critical for the expression of food-entrainable circadian rhythms. Nat Neurosci, 9(3): 398-407.

Saper CB, Lu J, Chou TC, Gooley JJ (2005) The hypothalamic integrator for circadian rhythms. Trends Neurosci, 28(3): 152-157. Review

Chou TC, Scammell TE, Gooley JJ, Gaus SE, Saper CB, Lu J (2003) Critical role of dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus in a wide range of behavioral circadian rhythms. J Neurosci, 23(33):10691-10702.

Gooley JJ, Lu J, Fischer D, Saper CB (2003) A broad role for melanopsin in nonvisual photoreception. J Neurosci, 23(18):7093-7106.

Lu C, Huang X, Ma HF, Gooley JJ, Aparacio J, Roof DJ, Chen C, Chen DF, Li T (2003) Normal retinal development and retinofugal projections in mice lacking the retina-specific variant of actin-binding LIM domain protein. Neuroscience, 120(1):121-31.

Gooley JJ, Lu J, Chou TC, Scammell TE, Saper CB (2001) Melanopsin in cells of origin of the retinohypothalamic tract. Nat Neurosci, 4(12):1165.