Systems Genetics

In the Laboratory of Systems Genetics, led by Dr. Susan T. Harbison, research is currently focused on her interest in complex traits---and the use of genomic technologies to study them.

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Susan Harbison

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Sleep duration over generations
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Sleep duration over generations

Sleep duration is heritable. Breeding flies for long and short sleep resulted in extremely long (11.3 hrs.) and short (54.8 min.) night sleep, demonstrating heritability.

Genotype variability
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Genotype variability

Some genotypes have more day-to-day variability in their sleep than others. Flies of Line 1 have extreme variability, while flies of Line 2 are very stable. 

Memory defects in relation to sleep time
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Memory defects in relation to sleep time

Long and short sleeping flies have short-term memory defects compared to moderate-sleeping control. 

Featured Publications

Natural selection on sleep duration in Drosophila melanogaster.

Authors: Souto-Maior C, Serrano Negron YL, Harbison ST.
Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 25;10(1):20652
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The Sleep Inbred Panel, a Collection of Inbred Drosophila melanogaster with Extreme Long and Short Sleep Duration.

Authors: Serrano Negron YL, Hansen NF, Harbison ST.
G3 (Bethesda) 2018 Aug 30;8(9):2865-2873
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What have we learned about sleep from selective breeding strategies?

Authors: Susan T. Harbison
Sleep 2022 Nov 09;45(11):zsac147
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Identification of Genes Contributing to a Long Circadian Period in Drosophila Melanogaster.

Authors: Shailesh Kumar, Ilker Tunc, Terry R. Tansey, Mehdi Pirooznia, Susan T. Harbison.
2021 Jun 01;36(3):239-253
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Meet the Team

Susan Harbison

Susan Harbison, Ph.D.

Senior Investigator

Susan Harbison graduated cum laude with a B.S. in aerospace engineering from North Carolina State University and served as an aerospace engineer for the Naval Aviation Depot for eight years before completing a Ph.D. in genetics, also at North Carolina State, in 2003. She was a postdoctoral researcher with Amita Sehgal at the University of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2007 and with Trudy Mackay at North Carolina State University from 2007 to 2011. In 2012, Dr. Harbison joined the NHLBI as an Earl Stadtman tenure-track Investigator. Dr. Harbison was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in 2012, and became a Kavli Fellow in 2014. Dr. Harbison is a member of the Genetics Society of America and the Sleep Research Society.

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