Dean Steve A. Kay

DEAN
Division of Biological Sciences
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Richard C. Atkinson Chair in the Biological Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of California, San Diego
09.17.07 – present

CHAIRMAN / PROFESSOR
Department of Biochemistry
Director and Faculty Member, Institute for Childhood and Neglected Diseases
The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) 1996-2007

EDUCATION
Ph.D., University of Bristol, United Kingdom, 1984

AWARDS & ACTIVITIES
Honma Prize for Life Sciences, 1999
Cited in Science Breakthroughs of the Year, 1998, 1999, 2002

Research Focus

Systems Biology of Circadian Clocks in Plants and Mammals

Almost all cellular processes fluctuate with a 24-hour periodicity, and these fluctuations are known as circadian rhythms. The circadian biological clock controls diverse events, from the sleep-wake cycle in humans to the overall rate of photosynthesis in plants. Many human pathologies, such as sleep disorders, are likely to result from a circadian defect, so understanding how cells generate these 24-hour rhythms will have significance for both plants and animals. The recent discovery of homologs to clock proteins between diverse species suggests that the elucidation of clock mechanisms in model systems will have broad impact for studies in humans. Our research team has chosen to study how circadian clocks are built inside of cells using molecular, genetic, and genomic approaches in three model systems: mouse, Arabidopsis, and Drosophila.

For more information, visit the Kay Lab website.