Devraj Singh

Research Interests:
Physiology
behavior
Neuroscience
Neurobiology
Daily and Annual Rhythms

Research Interests

  • Daily and annual rhythms
  • Physiology
  • Behavior
  • Neuroscience 
  • Neurobiology

Education

Assistant Research Scientist, Indiana University Bloomington, 2022
Postdoc, Indiana University Bloomington (Environmental Resilience Institute), IN, 2017-22
Young Scientist, National Institute of Science Education & Research, Bhubaneswar, India, 2016-17
Research Scientist, Delhi University, India, 2015-16
PhD, Delhi University, India, 2014
MSc, University of Lucknow, India, 2007
BSc, University of Lucknow, India, 2005

Research

The earth’s rotation on its own axis and its revolution around the sun generates two fundamental periodicities (i.e., daily and annual), creating a universal experience for all organisms living on earth. Earth’s rotation on its own axis gives rise to circadian rhythms (circa = about; dies = day), characterized by a period of ~ 24-hour day: night cycle, while earth’s revolution around the sun generates circannual rhythms (circa = about; annual = year). These daily and annual rhythms are interwoven into timing systems that regulate cellular and life-history programs of organisms from different taxa, including timing of flowering in plants; spring and autumn migratory movement in monarch butterflies, birds, and fish; reproduction in birds and mammals; and hibernation in mammals. All these periodic events are the result of daily and annual timing systems as a consequence of living in a periodic environment.

My current research interest involves investigating neural, genetic and epigenetic mechanism regulating latitudinal cline in critical photoperiodic response, daily clock under different life-history states, and circannual clock properties of geographically distinct dark-eyed junco populations in North America.

Our lab is presently focused on investigating following research questions-

  1. Neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating seasonal reproductive timing in a North American songbird breeding at different latitudes
  2. Anthropogenic impact on migratory and reproductive timing: Exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN)
  3. Learning attributes of endogenous circannual timing in reproductive timing of North American songbirds breeding at different latitudes
  4. Utilizing migratory bird’s adaptive traits in understanding obesity disorder

 

Selected Publications:

Publications

 Singh D, Fudickar AM, Smiley T, Ketterson ED. Comparative proteomics reveals molecular correlates of population-level variation in reproductive timing in a North American songbird. Authorea, 2020.  doi:10.22541/au.159986564.49593589 (under revision)

Sharma A, Das S, Singh D, Rani S, Kumar V. (2022). Differences in transcription regulation of diurnal metabolic support to physiologically contrasting life-history states in migratory songbirds. Journal of Ornithology, 163 (1), 199-212.

Sharma A, Singh D, Kaur I, Gupta P, Malhotra P, Bhardwaj SK, Kumar, V. (2021). Molecular drivers of migratory departure from wintering areas in obligate songbird migrants. Journal of Experimental Biology, 224 (11), jeb242153

Singh D, Montoure J, Ketterson ED. 2021. Exposure to artificial light at night accelerates but does not override latitude-dependent seasonal reproductive response in dark-eyed juncos. Environmental Pollution, 279, 116867

[Featured by Environmental Research Institute news- https://biology.indiana.edu/news-events/news/2021/singh-artificial-light-at-night.html ]

Singh D, Reed SM, Kimmitt AA, Alford KA, Stricker CA, Polly PD, Ketterson ED. (2021). Breeding at higher latitude is associated with higher photoperiodic threshold and delayed reproductive development in a songbird. Hormones and Behavior 128, 104907.

Becker, DJ, Singh D, Pan Q, Montoure JD, Talbott KM, Wanamaker S, Ketterson ED. 2020. Artificial light at night amplifies seasonal relapse of haemosporidian parasites in a widespread songbird. Proc. R. Soc. B 20201831.

[Featured by Environmental Research Institute news- https://eri.iu.edu/news-and-events/_news/archive/2020/20201027-eri-study-artificial-light-at-night-wakes-up-dormant-infections-in-birds.html]

Wanamaker, SM, Singh D, Byrd AJ, Smiley TM, Ketterson ED. 2020. Local adaptation from afar: migratory bird populations diverge in the initiation of reproductive timing while wintering in sympatry. Biology letters, 20200493. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0493

Singh D, Swarup V, Le H, Kumar V. (2018). Transcriptional signatures in liver reveal metabolic adaptation to seasons in migratory blackheaded buntings. Front Physiol. 9:1568. (Frontiers in Physiology 2022 best outstanding original research award;

https://www.frontiersin.org/books/Celebrating_5_Years_of_Avian_Physiolo…)

Sharma A, Singh D, Malik S, Gupta NJ, Rani S, Kumar V. (2018). Difference in control between spring and autumn migration in birds: insight from seasonal changes in hypothalamic gene expression in captive buntings. Proc Biol Sci. 285: 20181531.

Sharma A, Singh D, Das S, Kumar V. (2018). Hypothalamic and liver transcriptome from two crucial life-history stages in a migratory songbird. Exp Physiol. 103:559-569.

Mishra I, Singh D, Kumar V. (2017). Daily levels and rhythms in circulating corticosterone and insulin are altered with photostimulated seasonal states in night-migratory blackheaded buntings. Hormones and Behavior, 94: 114-123.

Mishra I, Singh D and Kumar V. (2017). Seasonal alteration in the daily rhythms in hypothalamic expression of genes involved in the photoperiodic transduction and neurosteroid-dependent processes in migratory blackheaded buntings. Journal of neuroendocrionology. doi:10.1111/jne.12469.

Singh D and Kumar V. (2017). Extra-hypothalamic brain clocks in songbirds: Photoperiodic state dependent clock gene oscillations in night-migratory blackheaded buntings, Emberiza melnocephala. Journal of photochemistry and photobiology B: Biology. 169:13-20.

Kumar R, Singh D, Rani S and Malik S. (2016). Seasonal trend in          movement directions     at dawn and dusk: a study on crow and white herons. Biological Rhythm Research (http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09291016.2016.1164282).

Singh D, Trivedi N, Malik S, Rani S and Kumar V. (2016). Timed food availability affects circadian behavior but not the neuropeptide Y expression in Indian weaverbirds exposed to atypical light-dark and constant dim light environment. Physiology and Behaviour. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.04.017 

Mishra I, Singh D, and Kumar V. (2016). Daily Expression of Genes Coding for Neurotransmitters in Central and Peripheral Tissues of Redheaded Buntings: Implication for Circadian Regulation of Physiology in Songbirds. Chronobiology International (DOI:10.3109/07420528.2016.1139587).

Singh D., Trivedi A K., Rani S., Panda S. and Kumar V. (2015). Circadian timing in central and peripheral tissues in a migratory songbird: Dependence on annual life-history states.  FASEB Journal (FASEB J. pii: fj.15-275339. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 26103987.

Singh D., Rani S. & Kumar V. (2013). Daily expression of six clock genes in central and peripheral tissues of the night- migratory redheaded bunting: Evidence for tissue specific circadian clocks. Chronobiology International (DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2013.810632).

Singh D., Kumari Y., Rastogi A., Rani S. & Kumar V. (2013). Neuropeptide Y mRNA and peptide in brain of the night-migratory redheaded bunting. Cell and Tissue Research (DOI 10.1007/s00441-013-1667-x).