Crest phase I: center for circadian rhythmicity and sleep homeostasis

The Morehouse School of Medicine has received a $7.39M Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Human Resource Development under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective September 1, 2025 through August 31, 2030. This award supports Phase I of the Centers for Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) initiative to establish a world-class research center focused on circadian rhythmicity and sleep homeostasis. The center will conduct investigations into how circadian disruptions affect sleep-wake cycles, with particular relevance to shift-work occupations, utilizing advanced research methodologies including spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, computational neurobiology, and in vivo brain imaging.

The primary products and services delivered through this award include identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for circadian disruptions; characterization of neuronal network mechanisms for light-dark signal integration; elucidation of molecular synchronization mechanisms for circadian clocks outside the brain; and determination of neurocircuitry underlying sleep. Results will be disseminated through scientific publications and presentations to both scientific and lay communities. Broader impacts include comprehensive training opportunities for students and faculty at the institution, advancement of understanding regarding circadian disruption mitigation strategies, and contributions to addressing health disparities through research capacity-building at a historically black medical school.

Abstract

With support from the centers for research excellence in science and technology (CREST), this project aims to study sleep and internal circadian clocks that regulate sleep-wake cycles. These investigations are significant because lack of sleep has been associated with individuals whose occupations require shift-work. How circadian disruptions affect sleep is unknown. This project will identify how circadian disruptions affect the body. The goal of the project is to establish a world-class research center for circadian system biology. The research questions will focus on understanding how circadian rhythms adapt/resynchronize in response to frequently disrupted and ever-changing stimuli. The center aims to: identify the neuronal network mechanisms by which light-dark signals are integrated by the circadian clock in the brain; probe the molecular mechanisms for the synchronization of circadian clocks outside of the brain; and determine the neurocircuitry underlying sleep. Research methods will include spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, computational neurobiology, and in vivo brain imaging. The project?S scope will engage collaborators to leverage additional cutting-edge technologies. The expected results are the identification of cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for circadian disruptions. Results will be disseminated at meetings and in publications for the scientific and lay communities. Broader impacts include understanding and mitigating the adverse impact of circadian disruptions and training opportunities for students and faculty. The center of research excellence in science and technology (CREST) program provides support to enhance the research capability capabilities of institutions through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.