Dr. Benjamin Rusak

Benjamin Rusak, Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Dalhousie University, has contributed significantly to understanding the neural mechanisms regulating biological rhythms in mammals. He helped define the physiological mechanisms and functions of the major neural pacemaker responsible for the generation of daily (circadian) rhythms. His work has been important for understanding how environmental light cues entrain biological rhythms and regulate seasonal reproductive cycles in mammals. He was the founding Editor of the Journal of Biological Rhythms (1986), which is the leading journal in this field. His current research examines the neurochemical basis of biological rhythms and the applications of research on biological rhythms and sleep to psychiatry.