Michael W. Young

Michael Warren Young ( born March 28, 1949 in Miami, Florida) is an American biologist and professor Chrono at Rockefeller University in New York City.

Life

Young grew up in Miami and around Miami. Even as a child he was interested in biological phenomena of the circadian rhythm - exotic flowers that open at night and take birds and insects, the biological clocks in spatial orientation to help. Young graduated in 1971 his studies in biology at the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree and acquired in 1975 at Burke Judd just there a Ph.D. in genetics. As a postdoctoral fellow he worked with David S. Hogness at Stanford School of Medicine, where he studied transposable DNA elements using molecular genetic methods. In 1978 he became Assistant Professor at the Rockefeller University in New York City, in 1984 there just associate professor and full professor in 1988. To-date ( 2011) Young is working at the Rockefeller University.

Work

Young is one of the pioneers of research into the molecular biology and genetics of biological rhythms and is researching the relationship between genes and behavior. His group succeeded in identifying numerous genes and proteins that are involved in the circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster, including period, timeless, double-time, clock, cycle and shaggy. As a negative feedback mechanism of transcription has been proposed. The principles can be thereby transferred to higher organisms and mammals. Recent work Youngs deal with molecular alterations of the biological clock, which lead to sleep disorders. The chronotherapy is considered potential application of research results in humans. From 1987 to 1996 he conducted research in addition to the Howard Hughes Medical Institute ( HHMI ).

Awards (selection)

  • 2007 membership in the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2009 Gruber Prize for Neuroscience ( with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash )
  • 2012 Canada Gairdner International Award ( with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash )
  • 2012 Massry Prize ( with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash )
  • 2013 Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences ( with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash )
  • 2013 Shaw Prize in Medicine ( with Jeffrey C. Hall and Michael Rosbash )
Chronobiology Gairdner Foundation International Award
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