Washington University in St Louis · BiologyCircadian Dynamics Lab
Erik Herzog · Saint Louis, Missouri
Research Focus
Dr. Erik Herzog's lab at Washington University focuses on understanding how our body's internal clock, known as the circadian clock, adjusts to environmental changes, like the length of day and night. Through a blend of experimental techniques and computer modeling, the research aims to uncover how specific brain cells communicate and alter their connections to maintain daily rhythms in behavior and physiology. This work is crucial for revealing how the brain functions as a network and adapts to seasonal variations.
circadian clockneural connectivitycell signalinggene expressioncomputational biologynetwork dynamicsphysiological rhythmsadaptationcalcium signalingin vivo analysis
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how SCN cells adapt to seasonal changes in day length.
AIM 02Map connectivity changes in SCN neurons during seasonal adaptations.
AIM 03Record gene expression and intracellular signals to infer neural networks.
AIM 04Implement control-theory-inspired perturbations on SCN cells.
AIM 05Develop methods to analyze dynamic structures in neural networks.
Skills the Lab Values
in vivo recordingscell culturegene expression analysiscalcium imagingcomputational modelingdata science techniquesneuroscience methodologiescontrol theory applicationsnetwork analysisexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications251top 24% of dept.246th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations14ktop 27% of dept.277th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.