Prof. Michael Rosbash. Photo: Brandeis.

Two Brandeis University professors won the prestigious Canada Gairdner Prize for their research on the biological clock and the circadian rhythm.

Michael Rosbash, the Peter Gruber Professor of Neuroscience and director of the Brandeis National Center for Behavioral Genomics, and Professor Emeritus of Biology Jeffrey C. Hall, won the top international prize for “medical researchers whose work contributes significantly to improving the quality of human life,” according to the Jewish-sponsored university’s official website.

Circadian rhythms are physiological responses synchronized to the time of the day. They regulate sleep and wakefulness, activity and rest, hormone levels, body temperature and more. The Brandeis researchers found a group of genes in fruit flies responsible for regulating the rhythm.