Welcome to the Cao Laboratory of Chronobiology and Medical Neuroscience at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. We are interested in unraveling how translational control mechanisms — especially mTOR and eIF2 signaling — shape the mammalian circadian clock, how those mechanisms link environmental cues (like light) to internal timing, and how clock dysfunction intersects with brain disorders such as autism. Our work spans molecular, cellular, and behavioral levels utilizing genetically modified mouse and cell models and a combination of experimental approaches.
Founded in 1766, Rutgers University is the eighth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and one of nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The Rutgers campus is located at the center of the Northeast corridor, with access to New York City, Philadelphia, and the New Jersey shore within an hour’s drive. The region is home to world-class universities, numerous pharmaceutical and biotech research facilities, and corporate headquarters. Piscataway and the surrounding areas in Central New Jersey offer vibrant and diverse cultural activities, excellent public and private schools, and opportunities to live in urban, suburban, or small-town settings within a short distance of campus. We constantly look for talented and motivated graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to join us.