Lab Members
Patrick Emery, Ph.D,, Professor
I studied Biology at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and in 1990 began my research career in the laboratory of Prof. Bernard Mach in the Department of Genetics and Microbiology of the University of Geneva Medical School. My M.S. and Ph.D. work focused on the regulation of MHC Class II genes, and in particular on the then-novel RFX family of transcription factors. In 1997, I moved to Brandeis University to work with Prof. Michael Rosbash on the molecular mechanisms underlying circadian rhythms in Drosophila. Most of my work there was dedicated to understanding the detection of circadian light cues, in particular the discovery of the cell-autonomous circadian photoreceptor Cryptochrome, in collaboration with Dr. Ralf Stanewsky and Prof. Jeffrey Hall.
In 2001, I joined the Department of Neurobiology at the University of Massachusetts. My laboratory at UMass first worked on photic and thermal entrainment of the Drosophila circadian clock, at the molecular and neural circuit levels. We also became particularly interested in transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation within the circadian pacemaker and the circadian neural network. More recently, we have expanded this work to study mechanisms underlying sleep in Drosophila.
In 2018, I received a Whitman Center Fellowship award to work during the summer at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole with Dr. Joshua Rosenthal. Our goal was to identify a genetically-tractable model organism to study circatidal rhythms. We found that the crustacean Parhyale hawaiensis is a promising model to examine genetically how marine organisms cope with tides. This work is now an important element of our research program.
Ratna Chaturvedi, Ph.D., Instructor
I received my Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), India. I then joined UMass Chan Medical School as a postdoctoral fellow. My initial research here was focused on glia-neuron interactions in the Drosophila visual system. In the Emery Lab, I am now investigating the molecular mechanisms that control sleep. In particular, I aim to identify key glial genes that impact the amount and quality of sleep. I recently found that the astrocytic GABA transporter GAT plays an important role in sleep regulation by modulating GABAergic tone on circadian neurons. My work aims to help identify glial therapeutic targets to treat sleep disorders, as well as related neurodegenerative and psychiatric dysfunctions.
My interests outside the lab include painting, poetry, and travel.
Chenghao Chen, Ph.D., Senior Reseach Scientist
I earned my PhD in Neuroscience from Queen Mary, University of London in the UK, where I studied the molecular mechanisms that reset the circadian clock in response to daily temperature changes. After completing my degree, I moved to the US and worked as a Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington and Janelia Research Campus. During that time, I investigated the circuit of proprioception in Drosophila melanogaster. Currently, I work as a research scientist in the Emery lab, where I study molecules and circuits that regulate circadian rhythms and sleep.
Lauren North, Lab Manager
After graduating from Smith College with a BA in Neuroscience, I moved to Worcester to work here at UMass Medical School, in the lab of Dr. Steven Reppert, studying Cryptochrome-based magnetoreception in Drosophila. I then joined the Emery lab where my research focus has been on RNA-binding proteins and their role in post-transcriptional regulation of the Drosophila circadian clock. As lab manager, I make sure the lab runs smoothly day-to-day. Outside of the lab I enjoy gardening, crafts, reading, seeing live music, and spending time with my family.
Raaga Pulya, Research Assistant
I graduated from the University of Connecticut Honors Program in 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Physiology and Neurobiology. As an undergraduate, I was a member of the Read Lab, where I conducted my honors thesis on speech perception using EEG studies. Currently, I work with both Drosophila and Parhyale in the lab, alongside Chenghao and Victoria on their respective research projects. Outside of the lab, my interests include Indian classical dance, specifically Kuchipudi, exploring new places in nature, and listening to music.
Olivia Heintz, Graduate Student
After graduating from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Neuroscience, I joined Dr. Michael Rogers’ lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, where I studied endometriosis-associated pain and worked toward repurposing FDA-approved medications and developing new treatments for endometriosis-associated pain. After three years in the Rogers lab, I joined the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UMass Chan Medical School as a PhD student and became a member of the Emery lab. In the Emery lab, I use Drosophila melanogaster as a model of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to investigate how the timing of TBI induction affects sleep and the secondary injury cascade, as well as the role of the circadian clock in these processes.
Victoria Louis, Ph.D., Postodoctoral fellow
After graduating from an interuniversity program (VUB-U. Gent-U. Antwerpen) in Belgium with a Master in Marine and Lacustrine Sciences and Management, I obtained my PhD in Marine Sciences at the Sorbonne University in France. My thesis addressed the mechanisms of bivalve shell increment formation, with an emphasis on the dual impact of the environment and biological clocks on this process. Currently, as a postdoctoral associate in the Emery lab, my research is focused on the interactions between the circadian and the circatidal clocks in the marine amphipod Parhyale hawaiensis. Outside of the lab, I like to go climbing and hiking with friends.
Vinh Phan, Lab Assistant
I was a teacher in Vietnam before immigrating to the US. In the Emery Lab, I take care of fly stocks and prepare fly food for behavioral experiments. I also prepare plates for other labs working with C. elegans in the department of Neurobiology.
Outside of the lab, I am a lover of nature and enjoy painting.