On this page
Research areas: Behavioral and molecular neuroscience of circadian biology
Shimon Amir received his PhD in Psychology from McGill University. After completing his postdoctoral training at the Center for Research on Drug Dependence, Concordia University, he joined the Department of Isotope Research and Neurobiology at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor in 1986. In 1988 he joined the Department of Psychology and the Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology at Concordia University and was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1991. He has served as Director of the Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology from 2009-2019. He was elected to the Board of Governors of Concordia in 2007 and has served as Vice-Chairman of the Board from 2011-2016. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Academy of Science; Fellow of the American Association for the advancement of Science; Fellow of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology; Fellow of the Association of Psychological Science; Member of the Provost Circle of Distinction; Honorary Concordia University Research Chair; and Distinguished University Research Professor.
Circadian clock genes encode transcriptional regulators that are central in the generation and regulation of circadian rhythms. Loss of function of core clock genes such as Bmal1 and Per2 is associated with loss of circadian rhythmicity and disturbances in a number cognitive, affective, and drug related behaviours. My laboratory employs different animal models to study the regulation and function of clock genes in regions of the forebrain important in stress, motivation, and emotion. We are using molecular, genetic, anatomical, and pharmacological methods in both male and female rodents to study how the expression of core clock genes within functionally-defined forebrain structures is regulated by inputs from different regions of the brain; how these genes respond to behavioural, pharmacological, hormonal, and metabolic perturbations that disrupt homeostasis (e.g., changes in the external light cycle, stress, neurotransmitter manipulations, treatment with drugs of abuse, glucocorticoids, restricted feeding); and how disruption of clock gene expression within specific brain regions and cell types influence motivated and affective behaviours. Current research focuses on the role of sex and the clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 within the striatum, habenula, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex in depression and anxiety-related behaviours, motor functioning, and alcohol drinking behaviour.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Fonds Nature et Technologies Quebec (FRQNT), Concordia University
Mahgol Darvishmolla, PhD Candidate
Amanda Szubinski, PhD Candidate
Mandy Laplante, MA Candidate
Vanessa Hasenhundl, UG
Dina Mahmalat, UG
Georges Elias, UG
Sofia Benavides Amaya, UG
Andree Stevens
Nikta Kamelan
Lab members
de Zavalia, N., Ferraro, S., and Amir, S. (2023). Sexually dimorphic role of circadian clock genes in alcohol drinking behavior. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 240, 431-440.
Meyer, C., Schoettner, K., and Amir, S. (2022). The effects of circadian desynchronization on alcohol consumption and affective behavior during alcohol abstinence in female rats. Front Behav Neurosci 16, 1044783.
Schoettner K., Alonso M., Button M., Goldfarb C., Herrera J., Quteishat N., Meyer C., Bergdahl A. and Amir S. (2022) Characterization of Affective Behaviors and Motor Functions in Mice with a Striatal-Specific Deletion of Bmal1and Per2. Front. Physiol. 13:922080. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2022.922080
Ferraro, S, de Zavalia, N, Belforte, N, and Amir, S. (2021) In utero exposure to administration of valproic-acid alters circadian organization and clock-gene expression: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience. doi: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.711549
de Zavalia, N., Schoettner, K., Goldsmith, J.A., Solis, P., Ferrraro, S., Parent, G. and Amir, S. (2021). Bmal1 in the striatum influences alcohol intake in a sexually dimorphic manner. Commun Biol 4, 1227. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02715-9
Pathak.S, Liu,D., Li,T., Zheng, L., de Zavalia, N., Li, J., Ramanujam, K., Storch, K.-F.,Kaufman, R.J., Jin, V.X., Amir, S., Sonenberg, N., Cao, R. (2019) The eIF2α kinase GCN2 modulates period and rhythmicity of the circadian clock by translational control of Atf4, Neuron 104, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.007.
Meyer, C., Schoettner, K., Amir, S. (2024) Effects of chronodisruption and alcohol consumption on gene expression in reward-related brain areas in female rats. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1493862
Herrera, J., Button, M., Doherty-Haigh, P., Goldfarb, C., Quteishat, N., Amir, S., Schoettner, K. (2023) Circadian clock genes Bmal1 and Per2 in the nucleus accumbens are negative regulators of alcohol-drinking behavior in mice. BioRxiv 2023.02.24.529935
Goldfarb, C., V Hasenhundl, A Menasce, S Amir, K Schottner (2024) Circadian gene Bmal1 in the lateral habenula regulates alcohol consumption in a sex specific manner. bioRxiv, 2024.08. 13.607765
Goldfarb, C., N Baharav, H Jiang, A Szubinski, S Amir, K Schoettner (2024) Circadian clock in the lateral habenula affects motor function in mice through the regulation of daily rhythms in the nigrostriatal pathway. bioRxiv, 2024.08. 17.608401
Schoettner, K., Alonso, M., Button, M., Goldfarb, C., Herrera, J., Quteishat, N., Meyer, C., Bergdahl, A., and Amir, S. (2022). Characterization of Affective Behaviors and Motor Functions in Mice With a Striatal-Specific Deletion of Bmal1 and Per2. Front Physiol 13, 922080.
Nadeau, BG., Marchant, E.G., Amir, S. and Mistlberger, R.E. (2022) Thermoregulatory significance of immobility in the forced swim test. Physiology and Behavior 247: 113709. PMID 35065081 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113709
© Concordia University