The Team
The Boss
Christopher S. Colwell is a neuroscientist who has served on the UCLA School of Medicine faculty since he joined the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences in 1997. He became an associate professor in 2002, and has been a Professor since 2008. Dr. Colwell earned his B.S. in Neuroscience from Vanderbilt University in 1985. During this time, he started his research in circadian rhythms under the mentorship of Dr. T. Page. Dr. Colwell earned his Ph.D. in Biology at the University of Virginia in 1991. His thesis work explored the neural mechanisms by which light regulates circadian rhythms. Dr. Colwell continued this line of research during a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Virginia with Dr. G. Block. A second postdoctoral fellowship was carried out on the topics of motor control and excitotoxicity in the laboratory of Dr. M. Levine at UCLA. Dr. Colwell learned how to utilize imaging techniques to measure calcium levels inside neurons while a visiting scientist in the laboratory of Dr. Konnerth at the University of Saarland, Germany. Since Dr. Colwell's faculty appointment at UCLA, his laboratory's research has focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms in mammals. Dysfunction in the timing these daily cycles is a key symptom in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Better understanding the basic biology of this timing system should result in new therapies to improve the quality of life of these patients and the people who care for them.
Fadiya Chowdhury
Fadiya is the Research Administrator for Dr. Colwell. She graduated from UC San Diego with a B.S. in Psychology and has been working at UCLA since 2010.
B.S. in Psychology, UCSD
Research Administrator, 2010-present
Tamara Cutler
Tamara is interested in the impact of the Huntington's disease mutation on cardiac function.
B.S. UCLA, 2012
Postgraduate Researcher, 2012-present
- Nakamura TJ, Nakamura W, Yamazaki S, Kudo T, Cutler T, Colwell CS, Block GD. Age-related decline in circadian output. J Neurosci. 2011 Jul 13;31(28):10201-5. PMID: 21752996
Olivia Hitchcock
B.S. UCLA, 2014
Postgraduate researcher, 2014-present
Zoe MacDowell Kaswan
Zoe is interested in the anatomical underpinnings of circadian disruption in Huntington's disease.
B.S. UCLA, 2014
M.Sc. student UCLA MCIP, 2014-2016
- Li Q, Loh DH, Kudo T, Truong D, Derakhshesh M, Kaswan ZM, Ghiani CA, Tsoa R, Cheng Y, Sun YE, Colwell CS. Circadian rhythm disruption in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Neurobiol Dis. 2015 May;77:155-64. PMID: 25779967
Yoon Sik Kim
Dr. Kim is interested in histaminergic control of SCN neuronal activity.
Ph.D. Korea University College of Medicine
Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA (2015-present)
- Kim YS, Kim YB, Kim WB, Yoon BE, Shen FY, Lee SW, Soong TW, Han HC, Colwell CS, Lee CJ, Kim YI. Histamine resets the circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus through the H1R-CaV 1.3-RyR pathway in the mouse. Eur J Neurosci. 2015 Oct;42(7):2467-77. PMID: 26215659
- Lee SW, Kim YB, Kim JS, Kim WB, Kim YS, Han HC, Colwell CS, Cho YW, In Kim Y. GABAergic inhibition is weakened or converted into excitation in the oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the lactating rat. Mol Brain. 2015 May 28;8:34. PMID: 26017151
- Kim YB, Kim YS, Kim WB, Shen FY, Lee SW, Chung HJ, Kim JS, Han HC, Colwell CS, Kim YI. GABAergic excitation of vasopressin neurons: possible mechanism underlying sodium-dependent hypertension. Circ Res 2013 Dec 6;113(12):1296-307. PMID: 24103391
- Kim JS, Kim WB, Kim YB, Lee Y, Kim YS, Shen FY, Lee SW, Park D, Choi HJ, Hur J, Park JJ, Han HC, Colwell CS, Cho YW, Kim YI. Chronic hyperosmotic stress converts GABAergic inhibition into excitation in vasopressin and oxytocin neurons in the rat. J Neurosci. 2011 Sep 14;31(37):13312-22. PMID: 21917814
- Choi HJ, Lee CJ, Schroeder A, Kim YS, Jung SH, Kim JS, Kim do Y, Son EJ, Han HC, Hong SK, Colwell CS, Kim YI. Excitatory actions of GABA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. J Neurosci. 2008 May 21;28(21):5450-9. PMID: 18495878
Collette Kokikian
B.S. UCLA, 2014
Postgraduate researcher, 2014-present
Dawn Loh
Dawn Loh is interested in the interaction of circadian rhythm dysfunction with disease symptoms in neurological disorders. Dawn mentors undergraduate and postgraduate student researchers and conducts independent work examining sleep/wake dysfunction in HD patients.
Ph.D. University of Edinburgh, UK, 2004
Postdoctoral Fellow, UCLA, 2005-2010.
HLoh@mednet.ucla.edu
- Loh DH, Jami SA, Flores RE, Truong D, Ghiani CA, O’Dell TJ, Colwell CS. Misaligned feeding impairs memories. eLife. 2015 Dec; 10.7554/eLife.09460
- Chen X, Wang L, Loh DH, Colwell CS, Taché Y, Reue K, Arnold AP. Sex differences in diurnal rhythms of food intake in mice caused by gonadal hormones and complement of sex chromosomes. Horm Behav. 2015 Sep;75:55-63. PMID: 26226656
- Li Q, Loh DH, Kudo T, Truong D, Derakhshesh M, Kaswan ZM, Ghiani CA, Tsoa R, Cheng Y, Sun YE, Colwell CS. Circadian rhythm disruption in a mouse model of Rett syndrome. Neurobiol Dis. 2015 May;77:155-64. PMID: 25779967
- Loh DH, Kudo T, Colwell CS. Short circuiting the circadian system with a new generation of precision tools. Neuron 2015 Mar 4;85(5):895-8. PMID: 25741718
- Loh DH, Kuljis DA, Azuma L, Wu Y, Truong D, Wang HB, Colwell CS. Disrupted reproduction, estrous cycle, and circadian rhythms in female mice deficient in vasoactive intestinal peptide. J Biol Rhythms. 2014 Oct;29(5):355-69. PMID: 25741718
- Kudo T, Loh DH, Tahara Y, Truong D, Hernández-Echeagaray E, Colwell CS. Circadian dysfunction in response to in vivo treatment with the mitochondrial toxin 3-nitropropionic acid. ASN Neuro. 2014 Jan 13;6(1):e00133. PMID: 24328694
- Loh DH, Kudo T, Truong D, Wu Y, Colwell CS. The Q175 mouse model of Huntington's disease shows gene dosage- and age-related decline in circadian rhythms of activity and sleep. PLoS One. 2013 Jul 30;8(7):e69993. PMID: 23936129
- Willison LD, Kudo T, Loh DH, Kuljis D, Colwell CS. Circadian dysfunction may be a key component of the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease: insights from a transgenic mouse model. Exp Neurol. 2013 May;243:57-66. PMID: 23353924
- Kuljis DA, Loh DH, Truong D, Vosko AM, Ong ML, McClusky R, Arnold AP, Colwell CS. Gonadal- and sex-chromosome-dependent sex differences in the circadian system. Endocrinology. 2013 Apr;154(4):1501-12. PMID: 23439698
- Schroeder AM, Truong D, Loh DH, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Colwell CS. Voluntary scheduled exercise alters diurnal rhythms of behaviour, physiology and gene expression in wild-type and vasoactive intestinal peptide-deficient mice. J Physiol. 2012 Dec 1;590(Pt 23):6213-26. PMID: 22988135
- Kuljis D, Schroeder AM, Kudo T, Loh DH, Willison DL, Colwell CS. Sleep and circadian dysfunction in neurodegenerative disorders: insights from a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Minerva Pneumol. 2012 Sep;51(3):93-106. PMID: 23687390
- Schroeder AM, Loh DH, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Colwell CS. Baroreceptor reflex dysfunction in the BACHD mouse model of Huntington's disease. PLoS Curr. 2011 Nov 4;3:RRN1266. PMID: 22069044.
- Kudo T, Loh DH, Truong D, Wu Y, Colwell CS. Circadian dysfunction in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Exp Neurol. 2011 Nov;232(1):66-75. Epub 2011 Aug 16. PMID: 21864527
- Loh DH, Dragich JM, Kudo T, Schroeder AM, Nakamura TJ, Waschek JA, Block GD, Colwell CS. Effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide genotype on circadian gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus and peripheral organs. J Biol Rhythms. 2011 Jun;26(3):200-9. PMID: 21628547
- Kudo T, Loh DH, Kuljis DK, Constance C, Colwell CS. Fast delayed rectifier potassium current: critical for input and output of the circadian system. J Neurosci 2011 Feb 23;31(8):2746-55. PMID: 21414897
- Kudo T, Schroeder A, Loh DH, Kuljis D, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Colwell CS. Dysfunctions in circadian behavior and physiology in mouse models of Huntington's disease. Exp Neurol.2011 Mar;228(1):80-90. Epub 2010 Dec 22. PMID: 21184755.
- Schroeder A, Loh DH, Jordan MC, Roos KP, Colwell CS. Circadian Regulation of Cardiovascular Function: a role for vasoactive intestinal peptide. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2011 Jan;300(1):H241-50. Epub 2010 Oct 15. PMID: 20952671.
- Loh DH, Navarro J, Hagopian A, Wang LM, Deboer T, Colwell CS. Rapid changes in the light/dark cycle disrupt memory of conditioned fear in mice. PLoS One 2010 Sep 2;5(9). pii: e12546. PMID: 20824058.
- Dragich JM, Loh DH, Wang LM, Vosko AM, Kudo T, Nakamura TJ, Odom IH, Tateyama S, Hagopian A, Waschek JA, Colwell CS. The role of the neuropeptides PACAP and VIP in the photic regulation of gene expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Eur J Neurosci. 2010 Mar;31(5):864-75. Epub 2010 Feb 17. PMID: 20180841.
- Gerstner JR, Lyons LC, Wright KP, Loh DH, Rawashdeh O, Eckel-Mahan KL, and Roman GW. Cycling Behavior and Memory Formation. J. Neurosci.2009 29 12824-12830.
- Chaudhury D, Loh DH, Dragich JM, Hagopian A, Colwell CS. Select cognitive deficits in Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide deficient mice. BMC Neurosci. 2008 Jul 10;9(1):63. PMID: 18616823.
- Loh DH, Abad C, Colwell CS, Waschek JA. Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide Is Critical for Circadian Regulation of Glucocorticoids. Neuroendocrinology. 2008 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 18562786
- Wang LM, Schroeder A, Loh D, Smith D, Lin K, Han JH, Michel S, Hummer DL, Ehlen JC, Albers HE, Colwell CS. Role for the NR2B subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor in mediating light input to the circadian system. Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Apr;27(7):1771-9. PMID: 18380671
- Vosko AM, Schroeder A, Loh DH, Colwell CS. Vasoactive intestinal peptide and the mammalian circadian system. Gen Comp Endocrinol. 2007 Jun-Jul;152(2-3):165-75. PMID: 17572414
Mayumi Morimoto
Visiting researcher (Fall 2015), Hiroshima University
Saemi Park
Saemi is interested in cardiac and autonomic dysfunction in mouse models of HD.
Pre-doctoral student, UCLA MCIP-IDP, 2014-present
Huei-Bin Wang
Huei-Bin is interested in treating circadian dysfunction in mouse models of ASD and HD.
M.Sc. student, UCLA MCIP, 2013-2015
- Loh DH, Kuljis DA, Azuma L, Wu Y, Truong D, Wang HB, Colwell CS. Disrupted reproduction, estrous cycle, and circadian rhythms in female mice deficient in vasoactive intestinal peptide. J Biol Rhythms. 2014 Oct;29(5):355-69. PMID: 25741718
Daniel Whittaker
Daniel is interested how treating sleep/wake dysfunction may alter behavioral symptoms of mouse models of HD.
M.Sc. UCLA MCIP, 2014
Pre-doctoral student, UCLA MCIP-IDP, 2014-present
- Samengo G, Avik A, Fedor B, Whittaker D, Myung KH, Wehling-Henricks M, Tidball JG. Age-related loss of nitric oxide synthase in skeletal muscle causes reductions in calpain S-nitrosylation that increase myofibril degradation and sarcopenia. Aging Cell. 2012 Dec;11(6):1036-45. PMID: 22950758
Our Students
Anahit Aschyan
Undergraduate researcher (2013-)
Anahit is examining the impact of circadian disruption on disease progression in the Q175 mouse model of HD.
Sarah Brown
Undergraduate researcher (2015-)
Sarah is learning behavioral tests, and is interested in the effect of altered circadian environment on mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorder.
Crystal Cheung
Undergraduate researcher (2013-)
Crystal is exploring changes to the SCN in mouse models of HD.
Jin Choi
Undergraduate researcher (2013-)
Jin is exploring changes to the SCN in mouse models of HD.
Manu Dwivedi
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Manu is examining the effect of stroke on behavioral rhythms.
Laura Gad
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Laura explored sex differences in the progressive decline of circadian rhythms and motor performance in the BACHD mouse model. She is currently testing the hypothesis that circadian enrichment can delay disease progression in the Mecp2 Rett syndrome mouse model.
Page Goddard
Undergraduate researcher (2015-)
Page is interested in understanding disease mechanisms in HD through transcriptomics.
Selena Gonzalez
Undergraduate researcher (2015-)
Selena is examining the effect of circadian enrichment on cardiovascular rhythms in mouse models of HD.
Tara Hallman
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Selena is examining the effect of circadian enrichment on cardiovascular rhythms in mouse models of HD.
Jasmine Jafari
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Jasmine is examining the effect of circadian disruption on tumor formation in a mouse model of breast cancer.
Yesol Jung
Undergraduate researcher (2015-)
Yesol is learning elecrophysiological techniques, and assisting Dr. Kim in his experiments.
Michaelyn Nguyen
Undergraduate researcher (2015-)
Michaelyn is learning anatomical techniques, and is interested in the effect of altered circadian environment on mouse models of disease.
Sam Norton
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Sam is examining the impact of circadian treatment on sociability in the Cntnap2 mouse model of autism.
Rishika Singh
Undergraduate researcher (2014-)
Rishika is testing the hypothesis that circadian environment can alter sociability in the Cntnap2 mouse model of autism.
