Subject: Researching the Circadian Clock with Applications to the Treatment of Diseases

Dear Mrs. Stoughton,

My name is Dev Patel, and I am a sophomore at River Hill High School in Clarksville, MD. This year, I
am enrolled in an Independent Research course and am currently researching circadian biology and am
interested in the manipulation of the circadian clock to progress the treatment of diseases, specifically by
personalizing medication administration to the chronotype of the individual. I was intrigued by the
detailed research being done by the UCSD Center for Circadian Biology on the medical implications of
chronobiology and the effects of certain chemotherapies being administered at different daily times, as
well as the investigation and treatment of sleep disorders using the gene-based body clock. I believe that
the area of expertise of the UCSD Center of Circadian Biology lines up with parts of my research project.

While conducting extensive background research, I read several articles which shaped the course of my
research by introducing the overall benefits of coordinating one’s lifestyle with circadian rhythms,
especially the coordination of certain components of the circadian clock with medication use to expedite
the treatment of a disease. My goal in this research project is to gain a deeper understanding of circadian
chronotype coordination and to use this understanding to explore the interaction between the circadian
oscillations and various pharmaceutical drugs and therapies. Specifically, I am looking for relevant
studies, statistics, or information you may have relating to chronotherapy and other factors that enhance
recovery and disease treatment, as well as specific genes of the suprachiasmatic nucleus that may affect
the spread or development of various diseases. I would also greatly appreciate any references to human
resources, articles, or other various sources.

I look forward to hearing back from you and hope you will consider providing me with materials to help
me in my research. If you have any questions for my teacher, Ms. Sasser, or me, please feel free to
contact us over e-mail, telephone, or whatever means is most convenient for you. My teacher’s phone
number is 410-531-4878 and her e-mail address is mary_sasser@hcpss.org. My email is
pateld4619@gmail.com.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Sincerely,

Dev Patel