The Happenings in the Peek Lab
Articles and news featuring Peek Lab research:
Claire gives a short preview on her work that she will present at the 2025 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions here in Chicago this summer! Check here for more Northwestern Medicine presenters.
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Clara was interviewed by the Chicago Sun Times for an article on how to prepare for the annual time change: Clara Peek, an expert on circadian rhythms, says small changes — like shifting sleep and meal times — can make a big difference when the clocks move forward Sunday.
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Study identifies link between body clock disruption and metabolic disease
Claire’s PNAS paper was featured in MedicalXpress: Northwestern Medicine investigators have discovered how disruptions in the circadian rhythm in our muscles combined with poor diet can contribute to the development of diabetes.
When you get hurt matters: Circadian rhythms affect muscle repair
Pei’s work in Sciences Advances covered by ScienceDaily: The body's internal clock doesn't just dictate when we sleep -- it also determines how quickly our muscles heal. A new study in mice suggests that muscle injuries heal faster when they occur during the body's natural waking hours. Also featured in MedicalXpress and EurekAlert!
Muscle Clocks Play a Role in Regulating Metabolism
Clara was interviewed by The Scientist, a popular science magazine, as part of an article on muscle clocks and their role in metabolism.
Uncovering Metabolism’s Clockwork
Joseph Bass, MD, PhD, chief of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, focuses his research on illuminating how the body’s clocks regulate feeding behavior and glucose metabolism, and identifies how disruptions in that overarching circadian system play a role in metabolic disease.
Muscles Have Circadian Clocks That Control Exercise Response
Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered circadian clocks in muscle tissue that control the muscle’s metabolic response and energy efficiency depending on the time of day.
How the Circadian Clock Controls Insulin and Blood Sugar Regulation in the Pancreas
Northwestern Medicine scientists pinpointed a master switch that orchestrates thousands of genetic pathways an internal body clock takes to dictate how and when our pancreas must produce insulin and control blood sugar
Lab news:
8/23/2023 Lots of happenings in the Peek lab! Congratulations to Neha for completing her Summer Undergraduate Research project under Adam’s mentorship and successfully presenting it for a joint meeting with Dr. Lillian Eichner’s lab, with a lab lunch celebration to cap it off. Great work this Summer, and we look forward to continue this work through the academic year!
7/10/2023 Big welcome to Dr. Ariana Kupai! She’s joining us as a post-doctoral fellow from the Van Andel Institute.
6/20/2023 Claire presenting her recent work from her thesis (data unpublished) at the Cell and Molecular Basis of Disease Program Symposium, proud of you!
6/9/2023 Pei’s poster (data unpublished) at the William H. Pearce, MD Research Symposium with collaborators from Dr. Bin Jiang’s lab, Caitlyn Dang and Dr. Calvin Chao!
4/10/2023 Congratulations Neha Gupta for being awarded the labs first Northwestern Summer Undergraduate Research Grant!
10/25/2022 Celebrations in place and big congratulations to both Claire Chaikin and Dr. Pei Zhu! Shortly after joining the lab Claire has been awarded a T32 training grant! Additionally, Dr. Pei Zhu has been promoted to a Research Assistant Professor in the lab!
Congrats Clara on receiving a score of 27 (10th percentile) for her R01 grant, “Clock Control of Muscle Glucose Metabolism
and HIF Activity” from the NIDDK (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease)!
