Michael W. Young

Michael W. Young has dedicated nearly the past three decades to research studying various patterns of sleep and wakefulness within Drosophila melanogaster. During his time at Rockefeller University, his lab has made significant contributions in the field of chronology by identifying key genes associated with regulation of the internal clock. He was able to elucidate the function of the period gene, which is necessary for the fly to exhibit normal sleep cycles. Young's lab is also attributed with the discovery of the timeless gene, which makes a protein that is also necessary for circadian rhythm.