Lark vs. Owl

Do you usually wake up early or sleep in the morning? Genome-wide association studies featured RGS16 as a “morning person”-associated gene. These human studies corroborate our original research finding using knockout mice. RGS16 shows strong circadian expression in the brain’s pacemaker neurons and its deletion leads to elongation of period of circadian locomotor activity rhythm. We are currently interested in defining brain G-protein signaling that sets the time to go to sleep and wake up every day. 
See: Doi et al Nature Commun, 2011
cf. Jones et al Nature Commun, 2019