Ketema Nnamdi Paul

Title(s)Professor, Integrative Biology And Physiology
SchoolCollege of Letters and Science
Emailketema.paul@ucla.edu
vCardDownload vCard
    Other Positions
    Title(s)Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences


    Collapse Overview 
    Collapse overview
    After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology from Howard University I went on to study neurobiology and circadian biology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia where I received my doctorate in 2003. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University in Evanston Illinois in 2006 at the Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology.

    My work examines the neural and genetic regulation of sleep regulatory mechanisms. My research program currently has three foci: 1) to examine sex differences in sleep regulatory mechanisms, 2) to investigate the role of circadian molecules on the ability to recover from sleep loss, and 3) to determine how genetic heterogeneity contributes to resilience against the negative effects of sleep loss and stress. My lab has adopted a forward genetics approach in mice to uncover the core genes responsible for sleep-wake regulation and sleep homeostasis. Another avenue of interest in my lab is the circadian expression of sleep regulatory genes in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Alzheimer’s Disease. These studies are expected to identify novel sleep regulatory genes and lead to the development of new therapeutic targets and improved treatments for sleep-related disorders.
    Collapse webpage

    Collapse Research 
    Collapse research activities and funding
    Time restricted feeding rescues circadian and motor dysfunction in a mouse model of Huntington's disease
    NIH R21NS115041Dec 1, 2019 - Nov 30, 2021
    Role: Co-Principal Investigator
    The impact of sex chromosomes on the ability to recover from sleep loss
    NIH R01NS078410Apr 1, 2012 - Apr 30, 2026
    Role: Principal Investigator
    MINORITY PREDOCTORAL
    NIH F31NS041857Sep 30, 2000
    Role: Principal Investigator

    Collapse Bibliographic 
    Collapse selected publications
    Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Researchers can login to make corrections and additions, or contact us for help. to make corrections and additions.
    Newest   |   Oldest   |   Most Cited   |   Most Discussed   |   Timeline   |   Field Summary   |   Plain Text
    Altmetrics Details PMC Citations indicate the number of times the publication was cited by articles in PubMed Central, and the Altmetric score represents citations in news articles and social media. (Note that publications are often cited in additional ways that are not shown here.) Fields are based on how the National Library of Medicine (NLM) classifies the publication's journal and might not represent the specific topic of the publication. Translation tags are based on the publication type and the MeSH terms NLM assigns to the publication. Some publications (especially newer ones and publications not in PubMed) might not yet be assigned Field or Translation tags.) Click a Field or Translation tag to filter the publications.
    1. Sleep patterns predicting stress resilience are dependent on sex. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 May 17. Bush BJ, Mohamed A, Andrews EJ, Cain G, Fawole A, Johnson H, Arocho A, Qiao Z, Paul KN, Ehlen JC. PMID: 40382501.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    
    2. Dim Light at Night Disrupts the Sleep-Wake Cycle and Exacerbates Seizure Activity in Cntnap2 Knockout Mice: Implications for Autism Spectrum Disorders. bioRxiv. 2025 Mar 24. Wang Y, Paul KN, Block GD, Deboer T, Colwell CS. PMID: 40196643; PMCID: PMC11974761.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    3. Inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase and cGAS/STING repair defects in amyloid-β clearance underlying vascular complications of Alzheimer's disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2025 Mar; 104(1):150-157. Fiala M, Hammock BD, Hwang SH, Whitelegge J, Paul K, Kaczor-Urbanowicz KE, Urbanowicz A, Kesari S. PMID: 39962970; PMCID: PMC11969680.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    4. Reproductive hormones and sex chromosomes drive sex differences in the sleep-wake cycle. Front Neurosci. 2024; 18:1478820. Ralston M, Ehlen JC, Paul K. PMID: 39544910; PMCID: PMC11561190.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    5. Scheduled feeding improves sleep in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Front Neurosci. 2024; 18:1427125. Chiem E, Zhao K, Dell'Angelica D, Ghiani CA, Paul KN, Colwell CS. PMID: 39161652; PMCID: PMC11330895.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1  
    6. Sleep EEG signatures in mouse models of 15q11.2-13.1 duplication (Dup15q) syndrome. J Neurodev Disord. 2024 Jul 16; 16(1):39. Saravanapandian V, Madani M, Nichols I, Vincent S, Dover M, Dikeman D, Philpot BD, Takumi T, Colwell CS, Jeste S, Paul KN, Golshani P. PMID: 39014349; PMCID: PMC11251350.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    7. Scheduled feeding improves sleep in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. bioRxiv. 2024 May 07. Chiem E, Zhao K, Dell'Angelica D, Ghiani CA, Paul KN, Colwell CS. PMID: 38766112; PMCID: PMC11100594.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    8. Analysis of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases. Methods Mol Biol. 2024; 2782:123-136. Dover M, Madani M, Fiala M, Paul K. PMID: 38622397.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimalsCells
    9. Sex differences in sleep architecture in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. J Neurosci Res. 2024 01; 102(1):e25290. Chiem E, Zhao K, Stark G, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS, Paul KN. PMID: 38284849; PMCID: PMC11973937.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    10. Hydrogen-rich water improves sleep consolidation and enhances forebrain neuronal activation in mice. Sleep Adv. 2024; 5(1):zpad057. Vincent SM, Madani M, Dikeman D, Golden K, Crocker N, Jackson C, Wimmer SP, Dover M, Tucker A, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS, LeBaron TW, Tarnava A, Paul KN. PMID: 38264142; PMCID: PMC10803172.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 1  
    11. The Negative Effects of Travel on Student Athletes Through Sleep and Circadian Disruption. J Biol Rhythms. 2024 Feb; 39(1):5-19. Heller HC, Herzog E, Brager A, Poe G, Allada R, Scheer F, Carskadon M, de la Iglesia HO, Jang R, Montero A, Wright K, Mouraine P, Walker MP, Goel N, Hogenesch J, Van Gelder RN, Kriegsfeld L, Mah C, Colwell C, Zeitzer J, Grandner M, Jackson CL, Roxanne Prichard J, Kay SA, Paul K. PMID: 37978840; PMCID: PMC11262807.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Humans
    12. Sleep is of the muscle, by the muscle, and for the muscle. Sleep. 2023 09 08; 46(9). Brager AJ, Paul KN. PMID: 37490494.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:    Fields:    
    13. Therapy of autoimmune inflammation in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Dimethyl fumarate and H-151 downregulate inflammatory cytokines in the cGAS-STING pathway. FASEB J. 2023 08; 37(8):e23068. Zamiri K, Kesari S, Paul K, Hwang SH, Hammock B, Kaczor-Urbanowicz KE, Urbanowicz A, Gao L, Whitelegge J, Fiala M. PMID: 37436778; PMCID: PMC10619685.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    14. Sex Differences in Sleep Phenotypes in the BACHD Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease. bioRxiv. 2023 Apr 28. Chiem E, Zhao K, Stark G, Ghiani CA, Colwell CS, Paul KN. PMID: 37162913; PMCID: PMC10168394.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions:
    15. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Mend Macrophage Transcriptome, Glycome, and Phenotype in the Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases, Including Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023; 91(1):245-261. Dover M, Moseley T, Biskaduros A, Paulchakrabarti M, Hwang SH, Hammock B, Choudhury B, Kaczor-Urbanowicz KE, Urbanowicz A, Morselli M, Dang J, Pellegrini M, Paul K, Bentolila LA, Fiala M. PMID: 36373322; PMCID: PMC9881025.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    16. Non-rapid eye movement sleep determines resilience to social stress. Elife. 2022 09 23; 11. Bush BJ, Donnay C, Andrews EA, Lewis-Sanders D, Gray CL, Qiao Z, Brager AJ, Johnson H, Brewer HCS, Sood S, Saafir T, Benveniste M, Paul KN, Ehlen JC. PMID: 36149059; PMCID: PMC9586557.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    17. Estrogen-sensitive medial preoptic area neurons coordinate torpor in mice. Nat Commun. 2020 12 11; 11(1):6378. Zhang Z, Reis FMCV, He Y, Park JW, DiVittorio JR, Sivakumar N, van Veen JE, Maesta-Pereira S, Shum M, Nichols I, Massa MG, Anderson S, Paul K, Liesa M, Ajijola OA, Xu Y, Adhikari A, Correa SM. PMID: 33311503; PMCID: PMC7732979.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 44     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    18. Sleep loss mediates the effect of stress on nitrergic signaling in female mice. Neurosci Lett. 2021 01 01; 740:135362. Chiem E, Nichols I, Van C, Kori S, Paul K. PMID: 33166635; PMCID: PMC10084941.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    19. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Increase Amyloid-β Immunity, Energy, and Circadian Rhythm for Cognitive Protection of Alzheimer's Disease Patients Beyond Cholinesterase Inhibitors. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020; 75(3):993-1002. Fiala M, Lau YCC, Aghajani A, Bhargava S, Aminpour E, Kaczor-Urbanowicz KE, Mirzoyan H, Nichols I, Ko MW, Morselli M, Santana J, Dang J, Sayre J, Paul K, Pellegrini M. PMID: 32390637; PMCID: PMC10190202.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:HumansCells
    20. Muscle, a conduit to brain for hormonal control of behavior. Horm Behav. 2018 09; 105:58-65. Schlinger BA, Paul K, Monks DA. PMID: 30040953.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    21. Nitrergic neurons of the dorsal raphe nucleus encode information about stress duration. PLoS One. 2017; 12(11):e0187071. Nichols IS, Jones MI, Okere C, Ananaba G, Bush B, Gray C, Brager A, Ehlen JC, Paul K. PMID: 29125838; PMCID: PMC5681257.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 4     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    22. Bmal1 function in skeletal muscle regulates sleep. Elife. 2017 07 20; 6. Ehlen JC, Brager AJ, Baggs J, Pinckney L, Gray CL, DeBruyne JP, Esser KA, Takahashi JS, Paul KN. PMID: 28726633; PMCID: PMC5574702.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 75     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    23. Homeostatic effects of exercise and sleep on metabolic processes in mice with an overexpressed skeletal muscle clock. Biochimie. 2017 Jan; 132:161-165. Brager AJ, Heemstra L, Bhambra R, Ehlen JC, Esser KA, Paul KN, Novak CM. PMID: 27916643; PMCID: PMC5191931.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 6     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    24. Sleep Is Critical for Remote Preconditioning-Induced Neuroprotection. Sleep. 2016 Nov 01; 39(11):2033-2040. Brager AJ, Yang T, Ehlen JC, Simon RP, Meller R, Paul KN. PMID: 27568798; PMCID: PMC5070757.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    25. Maternal Ube3a Loss Disrupts Sleep Homeostasis But Leaves Circadian Rhythmicity Largely Intact. J Neurosci. 2015 Oct 07; 35(40):13587-98. Ehlen JC, Jones KA, Pinckney L, Gray CL, Burette S, Weinberg RJ, Evans JA, Brager AJ, Zylka MJ, Paul KN, Philpot BD, DeBruyne JP. PMID: 26446213; PMCID: PMC4595617.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 43     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    26. Shell neurons of the master circadian clock coordinate the phase of tissue clocks throughout the brain and body. BMC Biol. 2015 Jun 23; 13:43. Evans JA, Suen TC, Callif BL, Mitchell AS, Castanon-Cervantes O, Baker KM, Kloehn I, Baba K, Teubner BJ, Ehlen JC, Paul KN, Bartness TJ, Tosini G, Leise T, Davidson AJ. PMID: 26099272; PMCID: PMC4489020.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 35     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    27. Period-amplitude analysis reveals wake-dependent changes in the electroencephalogram during sleep deprivation. Sleep. 2013 Nov 01; 36(11):1723-35. Ehlen JC, Jefferson F, Brager AJ, Benveniste M, Paul KN. PMID: 24179307; PMCID: PMC3792391.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    28. Sleep loss and the inflammatory response in mice under chronic environmental circadian disruption. PLoS One. 2013; 8(5):e63752. Brager AJ, Ehlen JC, Castanon-Cervantes O, Natarajan D, Delisser P, Davidson AJ, Paul KN. PMID: 23696854; PMCID: PMC3656961.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 22     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    29. Sex chromosomes regulate nighttime sleep propensity during recovery from sleep loss in mice. PLoS One. 2013; 8(5):e62205. Ehlen JC, Hesse S, Pinckney L, Paul KN. PMID: 23658713; PMCID: PMC3641056.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 31     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    30. Altered sleep regulation in a mouse model of SCN1A-derived genetic epilepsy with febrile seizures plus (GEFS+). Epilepsia. 2013 Apr; 54(4):625-34. Papale LA, Makinson CD, Christopher Ehlen J, Tufik S, Decker MJ, Paul KN, Escayg A. PMID: 23311867; PMCID: PMC3703918.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 31     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    31. Serotonin and sleep: breaking the cycle (Commentary on Nakamaru-Ogiso et al.). Eur J Neurosci. 2012 Jun; 35(11):1761. Paul KN. PMID: 22672132.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: Translation:Animals
    32. Sleep, rhythms, and the endocrine brain: influence of sex and gonadal hormones. J Neurosci. 2011 Nov 09; 31(45):16107-16. Mong JA, Baker FC, Mahoney MM, Paul KN, Schwartz MD, Semba K, Silver R. PMID: 22072663; PMCID: PMC3249406.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 112     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    33. N-acetylserotonin promotes hippocampal neuroprogenitor cell proliferation in sleep-deprived mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 May 24; 108(21):8844-9. Sompol P, Liu X, Baba K, Paul KN, Tosini G, Iuvone PM, Ye K. PMID: 21555574; PMCID: PMC3102377.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:AnimalsCells
    34. Dysregulation of inflammatory responses by chronic circadian disruption. J Immunol. 2010 Nov 15; 185(10):5796-805. Castanon-Cervantes O, Wu M, Ehlen JC, Paul K, Gamble KL, Johnson RL, Besing RC, Menaker M, Gewirtz AT, Davidson AJ. PMID: 20944004; PMCID: PMC2974025.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 258     Fields:    
    35. Chronic sleep deprivation markedly reduces coagulation factor VII expression. Haematologica. 2010 Aug; 95(8):1429-32. Pinotti M, Bertolucci C, Frigato E, Branchini A, Cavallari N, Baba K, Contreras-Alcantara S, Ehlen JC, Bernardi F, Paul KN, Tosini G. PMID: 20418241; PMCID: PMC2913095.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 3     Fields:    
    36. Dysfunction of the Scn8a voltage-gated sodium channel alters sleep architecture, reduces diurnal corticosterone levels, and enhances spatial memory. J Biol Chem. 2010 May 28; 285(22):16553-61. Papale LA, Paul KN, Sawyer NT, Manns JR, Tufik S, Escayg A. PMID: 20353942; PMCID: PMC2878034.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 25     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    37. The role of retinal photoreceptors in the regulation of circadian rhythms. Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2009 Dec; 10(4):271-8. Paul KN, Saafir TB, Tosini G. PMID: 19777353; PMCID: PMC2848671.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 46     Fields:    
    38. The ability of stress to alter sleep in mice is sensitive to reproductive hormones. Brain Res. 2009 Dec 11; 1305:74-85. Paul KN, Losee-Olson S, Pinckney L, Turek FW. PMID: 19769952; PMCID: PMC2787829.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 14     Fields:    
    39. Reproductive hormone replacement alters sleep in mice. Neurosci Lett. 2009 Oct 09; 463(3):239-43. Paul KN, Laposky AD, Turek FW. PMID: 19647784; PMCID: PMC2749224.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 30     Fields:    
    40. Regulation of light's action in the mammalian circadian clock: role of the extrasynaptic GABAA receptor. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2009 May; 296(5):R1606-12. Ehlen JC, Paul KN. PMID: 19244580; PMCID: PMC2689827.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 15     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    41. Influence of sex on sleep regulatory mechanisms. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2008 Sep; 17(7):1201-8. Paul KN, Turek FW, Kryger MH. PMID: 18710368.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 24     Fields:    Translation:HumansAnimals
    42. Light and GABA)(A) receptor activation alter period mRNA levels in the SCN of diurnal Nile grass rats. Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Nov; 24(10):2843-52. Novak CM, Ehlen JC, Paul KN, Fukuhara C, Albers HE. PMID: 17156208.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 8  Translation:Animals
    43. Diurnal sex differences in the sleep-wake cycle of mice are dependent on gonadal function. Sleep. 2006 Sep; 29(9):1211-23. Paul KN, Dugovic C, Turek FW, Laposky AD. PMID: 17040009.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 70     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    44. GABAA receptor activation suppresses Period 1 mRNA and Period 2 mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nucleus during the mid-subjective day. Eur J Neurosci. 2006 Jun; 23(12):3328-36. Ehlen JC, Novak CM, Karom MC, Gamble KL, Paul KN, Albers HE. PMID: 16820022.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 19  Translation:Animals
    45. Paradoxical effects of NPY in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. Eur J Neurosci. 2006 May; 23(9):2488-94. Gamble KL, Paul KN, Karom MC, Tosini G, Albers HE. PMID: 16706855.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 5  
    46. AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist DNQX blocks the acute increase of Per2 mRNA levels in most but not all areas of the SCN. Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2005 Sep 13; 139(1):129-36. Paul KN, Fukuhara C, Karom M, Tosini G, Albers HE. PMID: 15963600.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 12     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    47. Tetrodotoxin administration in the suprachiasmatic nucleus prevents NMDA-induced reductions in pineal melatonin without influencing Per1 and Per2 mRNA levels. Eur J Neurosci. 2004 May; 19(10):2808-14. Paul KN, Gamble KL, Fukuhara C, Novak CM, Tosini G, Albers HE. PMID: 15147314.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2  Translation:Animals
    48. Tetrodotoxin blocks the circadian effects of NMDA during the day but not at night. Neuroreport. 2003 Mar 24; 14(4):641-4. Gamble KL, Novak CM, Paul KN, Albers HE. PMID: 12657903.
      View in: PubMed   Mentions: 2     Fields:    Translation:Animals
    Ketema's Networks
    Concepts (213)
    Derived automatically from this person's publications.
    Explore
    _
    Co-Authors (15)
    People in Profiles who have published with this person.
    Explore
    _
    Similar People (60)
    People who share similar concepts with this person.
    Explore
    _
    Same Department
    Search Department
    _

    UCLA Profiles is managed by the UCSF Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), part of the Clinical and Translational Science Award program funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (Grant Number UL1 TR000004) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
    This site is running Profiles RNS version UCSF-v3.1.0-13-gbc789823 on PROFILES-PWEB03. We use cookies to operate our website. We also use cookies to analyze our site’s performance and improve your experience on our site. For more information about how we use cookies, please see our Website Terms of Use.

    Copyright © The Regents of the University of California