Welcome to The Tulane Center for Circadian Biology (TCCB). The TCCB is a multidisciplinary center that integrates basic, clinical, and translational research on chronobiology (biological timing), with a focus on circadian rhythms and circadian disruption, into a unified program at Tulane University. The TCCB provides an organizational structure to coordinate and enhance research and education activities among faculty and students interested in chronobiology at Tulane University, Tulane University School of Medicine, Tulane University School of Public Health, and the Tulane Primate Center. The overall mission of the TCCB is to promote discoveries and educational opportunities in the field of circadian biology and medicine among researchers from diverse disciplines and encourage them to include circadian biology as part of their research portfolio.
TCCB Goals
- To foster research to elucidate the fundamental and integrative mechanisms that underlie the generation, expression, and timing of circadian rhythms in health and disease at the molecular, cellular, tissue, organ, and whole body levels.
- To foster research to determine the consequences of circadian disruption and circadian rhythm dysfunction, due to light exposure at night, sleep disturbances and/or abnormal timing of feeding behaviors, for human health, safety, performance and productivity.
- To facilitate the development of treatments to prevent and/or alleviate the adverse effects associated with circadian dysregulation.
- To help educate students and the general public about the importance of circadian rhythms and the consequences of circadian disruption in the maintenance of optimal human health and well being.
The TCCB is dedicated to exploring and understanding the fundamental mechanisms regulating circadian dynamics relating to the human body as a whole, and to specific organs and organ systems as well as the pathogenesis of circadian disruption resulting from exposure to light-at-night, sleep disorders and/or abnormal timing of feeding behaviors. The broad range of research activities, the frequent seminars and the excellent mentorship opportunities combine to make the TCCB a leader in the training of clinical researchers particularly those interested in circadian sleep disorders. At the basic science research level, the TCCB is dedicated to elucidating and understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating the circadian clockworks both at the central (e.g., brain) and peripheral (e.g., cellular and tissue) levels, how the circadian system and its disruption contribute to human diseases including cancer, obesity, metabolic disorders, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, sleep disorders, as well as healthy and unhealthy aging. Finally, the TCCB is committed to creating a vibrant and rich intellectual environment that fosters interactions and collaborations among basic and clinical researchers of different disciplines who have mutual research interests in the study of circadian rhythms and the disease states resulting from or associated with their disruption.
