Society for Research on Biological Rhythms

Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
Name	Society for Research on Biological Rhythms
Abbreviation	SRBR
Formation	1986
Type	Professional society
Headquarters	North America
Fields	Chronobiology

Society for Research on Biological Rhythms The Society for Research on Biological Rhythms is a professional organization dedicated to advancing research on biological timing and circadian systems. It serves researchers across molecular, cellular, organismal, and clinical domains, linking investigators associated with National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Wellcome Trust, and international universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The society promotes collaboration among investigators from institutions like Salk Institute, Max Planck Society, CNRS, Karolinska Institutet, and University of California, San Diego.

History

Founded in the 1980s, the organization emerged amid growing interest in circadian biology catalyzed by discoveries at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Rockefeller University, Brandeis University, Université Paris-Sud, and University of São Paulo. Early contributors included investigators affiliated with University of Edinburgh, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Toronto, and Imperial College London. The society developed alongside landmark work at laboratories such as Scripps Research, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University College London, and University of Pennsylvania, reflecting cross-Atlantic and cross-Pacific ties with groups at University of Tokyo and University of Melbourne. Its history intersects with major meetings held at venues including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Symposia, Gordon Research Conferences, and collaborations with organizations like FENS and Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Mission and Activities

The society's mission emphasizes promoting circadian and seasonal rhythm research across basic and translational arenas, engaging stakeholders from National Institute of Mental Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, European Research Council, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and philanthropic funders such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Activities foster connections among labs at University of Chicago, Columbia University, UCSF, University of Michigan, Brown University, and industry partners including Pfizer, Roche, and Novartis for translational projects. The society supports initiatives linking clinical centers such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Mount Sinai Health System, and Kaiser Permanente to basic science groups at Princeton University and Duke University.

Governance and Membership

Governance is overseen by an elected council comprising members drawn from academic centers including University of Washington, Northwestern University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of British Columbia, ETH Zurich, and University of Cologne. Membership spans trainees and senior scientists affiliated with Rutgers University, Indiana University Bloomington, Ohio State University, University of Florida, and institutions in Asia like Peking University and Seoul National University. Committees coordinate outreach with societies such as American Physiological Society, Society for Neuroscience, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine for interdisciplinary exchange.

Conferences and Meetings

Annual meetings attract presenters from laboratories at Gladstone Institutes, Weizmann Institute of Science, University of Heidelberg, University of Geneva, Monash University, and University of Auckland. Symposia feature invited speakers connected to awards and lectureships held at Royal Society, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Science, and thematic sessions in partnership with European Molecular Biology Organization and Japanese Society for Chronobiology. The society has organized satellite workshops at venues such as Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Banff Centre, Keystone Symposia, and regional meetings in collaboration with Latin American Society for Chronobiology and Asian Pacific Society for Chronobiology.

Awards and Honors

The society grants awards recognizing accomplishments similar in stature to honors conferred by Lasker Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Program, Prince Mahidol Award, and national academies such as National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society. Prize categories reward early-career investigators from universities such as University of Basel, McGill University, University of Zurich, and established investigators with ties to Columbia University, Yale University, and Harvard Medical School. Honorary lectures reflect influences from historic awards like the Nobel Prize by highlighting work on molecular clocks, sleep, and seasonal biology.

Publications and Educational Outreach

The society supports dissemination through journals and platforms overlapping with Journal of Biological Rhythms, Nature Communications, Science Advances, PNAS, and review outlets such as Annual Review of Physiology and Trends in Neurosciences. Educational outreach partners include programs at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Society for Neuroscience, European Brain Council, and university training grants from National Institute of General Medical Sciences and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Workshops and webinars connect trainees at Cornell University, Vanderbilt University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and international students from University of Cape Town and University of Nairobi to career development and mentoring activities.

Category:Scientific societies