On June 1, 2023, the Nature journal Neuropsychopharmacology published new research co-authored by AFAR 2021 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty recipient Janine Kwapis, PhD, exploring the circadian system and its role in improving memory retention.
In this study, Dr. Kwapis and co-authors tested the memory of mice during daytime and nighttime using an object memory location task. Through their research, they were able to identify a gene known as Period1 whose activity fluctuated in a memory-related region of the brain in parallel with memory performance, helping the mice to form better long-term memories during the day.
Read the full paper here.
In addition to being a 2021 AFAR grantee, Janine Kwapis, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Biology in the Eberly College of Science at Penn State University. Learn more about Dr. Kwapis’ AFAR-supported research here.
