Home > Program Faculty >Ruth Benca Laboratory
Research in Dr. Benca’s laboratory utilizes behavioral, neurophysiologic, and neuroanatomic techniques to elucidate mechanisms of sleep abnormalities, particularly in psychiatric disorders. Specific projects include neural mechanisms underlying sleep-wakefulness responses to acute lighting changes, migratory sleeplessness in birds as a model for bipolar disorder, the role of the amygdala in sleep regulation, and sleep changes associated with mood disorders in humans. Drs. Behan and Benca have a long-standing research collaboration, particularly concerning the neuro-anatomical pathways associated with sleep regulation.