My research interests are centred on circadian clocks and their role in regulating behaviour and physiology. An internal body clock (circadian clock) regulates almost all aspects of physiology in most living organisms, such that they anticipate daily changes in their environment (night versus day) and function in synchrony with their temporal niche. I have been working on the role of the clock in regulating physiology and behaviour with regard to the environment and fitness. My experience in chrononiology has provided me with expertise in a range of areas such as ecology, physiology, the cell cycle, gene expression and behaviour due to the highly interdisciplinary nature of this research.
2004-06/2007 PhD, Institute of Zoology, University of Medical School in Hannover Thesis: Impact of Per1
and Per2 clock genes on the reproductive outcome and physiological functions in female miceSupervisors Profs. Steinlechner, Zimmermann and Trillmich
1998-2002 MSc, Dept. of Animal Behaviour University of Bielefeld Thesis: Immune
response in juvenile guinea pigs Supervisor Prof. Fritz Trillmich
10/2015-01/2017 Research Associate, University of Oxford “Light and low frequency magnetic fields” Supervisors Prof. Russell Foster and Dr. Stuart Peirson in collaboration with Prof. Mick Hastings University of Cambridge, UK
05/2012-09/2015 Research Associate, University of Oxford “Effect of monochromatic light on sleep and circadian rhythms “Melanopsin’s role in stabilizing circadian clock and metabolism” Supervisors Prof. Russell Foster and Dr. Stuart Peirson in collaboration with Prof. Nolan MRC Harwell, UK
03/2010-04/2012 Research Associate, University of Manchester “The role of CK1 in the circadian system “Visualising and quantifying the behavior of Per2 in the mammalian circadian clock using Per2::Venus mouse model” Supervisors Prof. Andrew Loudon in collaboration with Dr. David Bechtold and Prof. Mick Hastings University of Cambridge, UK
03/2008-03/2010 Marie Curie Fellow, University of Groningen, “Mouse as an animal model of human shift work” Supervisors Dr. R. Hut, Prof. S. Daan, NL
09/2007-01/2008 Research Associate, “Shifting of activity rhythms under daily schedules of water access in the mouse”. Software improvement of the “IntelliCages”University of Groningen in NL, Prof. S. Daan in collaboration with NewBehavior, Switzerland
Reviewer:
Journal PlosOne
Journal of Biological Rhythms
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology
Bioscience Horizons
Scientific Reports
German, Latin, Polish, Russian, Dutch (reading, understanding)
V. Pilorz, SKE. Tam, S. Hughes, CA. Pothecary, A. Jagannath, et al. MW. Hankins, DM. Bannerman, SL. Lightman, VV. Vyazovskiy, PM. Nolan, RG. Foster, SN. Peirson. (2016). Melanopsin Regulates Both Sleep-Promoting and Arousal-Promoting Responses to Light. PLOS Biology. 14(6), pp.e1002482-e1002482.
NJ. Smyllie, V. Pilorz, J. Boyd, Q-J. Meng, B. Saer, et al. JE. Chesham, ES. Maywood, TP. Krogager, DG. Spiller, R. Boot-Handford, MRH. White, MH. Hastings, ASI. Loudon. (2016). Visualizing and Quantifying Intracellular Behavior and Abundance of the Core Circadian Clock Protein PERIOD2. Current Biology. 26(14), pp.1880-1886.
A. Jagannath, S. Hughes, A. Abdelgany, CA. Pothecary, S. Di Pretoro, et al. SS. Pires, A. Vachtsevanos, V. Pilorz, LA. Brown, M. Hossbach, RE. MacLaren, S. Halford, S. Gatti, MW. Hankins, MJA. Wood, RG. Foster, SN. Peirson. (2015). Isoforms of Melanopsin Mediate Different Behavioral Responses to Light. Current Biology. 25(18), pp.2430-2434.
RA. Hut, V. Pilorz, AS. Boerema, AM. Strijkstra, S. Daan Working for Food Shifts Nocturnal Mouse Activity into the Day. PLoS ONE. 6(3), pp.e17527-e17527.
V. van der Vinne, SJ. Riede, JA. Gorter, WG. Eijer, MT. Sellix, et al. M. Menaker, S. Daan, V. Pilorz, RA. Hut. (2014). Cold and hunger induce diurnality in a nocturnal mammal. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111(42), pp.15256-15260.
V. Pilorz, S. Steinlechner, H. Oster (2009). Age and oestrus cycle-related changes in glucocorticoid excretion and wheel-running activity in female mice carrying mutations in the circadian clock genes Per1 and Per2. Physiology & Behavior. 96(1), pp.57-63.
V. Pilorz, S. Steinlechner (2008). Low reproductive success in Per1 and Per2 mutant mouse females due to accelerated ageing?. Reproduction. 135(4), pp.559-568.
V. PILORZ, M. JACKEL, K. KNUDSEN, F. TRILLMICH (2005). The cost of a specific immune response in young guinea pigs. Physiology & Behavior. 85(2), pp.205-211.
SN. Peirson, V. Pilorz, R. Foster Shedding light on sleep and arousal. he Endocrinologist- The magazine of the Society for Endocrinology. Winter(122),
V. Pilorz, S. Steinlechnler (2008). Reproduction is impaired in female mice with a mutated biological clock. In: Latvian University of Agriculture, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Jelgava, pp.131-135.
01/05/15 - 31/07/15 Medical Research Fund University of Oxford, UK
14/03/12 - 14/06/12 Institutional Strategic Support Fund (ISSF) for the University of Manchester, UK
01/03/08 - 01/03/10 EC FP6 Marie Curie Fellowship (IEF) # 221095 “ClockWork”
01/04/07 - 30/06/07 PhD program “Veterinary Research and Animal Biology“
01/04/04 - 31/03/07 The Research Training Group 705 (GRK 705) von (DFG)
Funded through fellowships awarded by The Research Training Group of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Veterinary Research and Animal Biology PhD program
Since March 2010 Member of CLOCK CLUB, UK
2007-2008 Member of EUCLOCK “Entrainment of the circadian clock”
Since 2007 Member of SRBR “Society of Research on Behavioral Rhythms”
Since 2007 Member of EBRC “European Biological Rhythms Society”