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Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the anterior hypothalamus is the central circadian pacemaker of the body. Besides several neuropeptides, SCN neurons express the neurotransmitter γ−aminobutryic acid (GABA), and local GABAergic nerve terminals are abundant within the SCN. Despite the prevalence of GABA and GABA receptors in the SCN, the physiological and functional roles of GABA within the SCN remain unclear. GABA signaling has been proposed to mediate synchrony, desynchrony, phase shifts, synaptic gain, and has been observed to be both inhibitory and excitatory within the SCN neural network. My dissertation work has investigated the physiological and functional roles of GABA transmission in the SCN.