Aaron Schirmer
Biology
Associate Chair, Professor
Office:
Room BBH 352E
Phone:
(773) 442-5617
Email:
a-schirmer@neiu.edu
Office Hours:
Please email a-schirmer@neiu.edu to arrange to meet or speak with Dr. Schirmer.
CV:
Schirmer, A_CV.pdf
Expertise
Chronobiology, Neuroscience, Behavioral Genetics, and Molecular Biology
Introduction to Biology (BIO 100)
Essential Skills for Biologists (BIO 250)
General Biology I (BIO 201)
General Biology II (BIO 202)
General Genetics (BIO 303)
Genomics and Proteomics (BIO 368)
Biology Senior Seminar (BIO 390)
Biological Literature (BIO 405)
Chronobiology (BIO 412)
Biochemical Genetics (BIO 421)
Environmental Health (PH 420)
Honors Intro to Natural Sciences (ZHON 194)
Correspondence Topics in Biology (NDP 321)
Research Interests
My research utilizes a variety of techniques (molecular, physiological, and behavioral) and experimental systems (both vertebrate and invertebrate) to investigate the role of circadian rhythms in animal (including human) behavior and physiology. Specifically, these studies focus on the impact of environmental perturbations on circadian systems, the role of circadian rhythms in the modulation of insect behavior, and molecular genetic mechanisms involved in the regulation and expression of circadian rhythms.
Education
Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University
B.S. in Biology from Elmhurst College
Selected Publications
Chrzanowski, M. M., Stryjek, R., Parsons, M. H., Verizhnikova, I., Majewski, P. M., Schirmer, A. E., and Bebas, P. 2025. Daily sperm release rhythms in wild geometer moths: comparative characteristics across ecologically diverse species. Environmental Entomology, 54(6): 1348-1362.
Scislewska, P., Zareba, M. R., Lengier, J., Schirmer, A. E., Bebas, P., and Szatkowska, I. 2025. Eveningness and distinctness of the circadian rhythm in men are related to altered neural responses to gain and loss. Scientific Reports, 15: 21091.
Scislewska, P., Zareba, M. R., Lengier, J., Schirmer, A. E., Bebas, P., and Szatkowska, I. 2025. Circadian rhythmicity and reinforcement processing: a dataset of MRI, fMRI, and behavioral measurements. Scientific Data, 12: 823.
Schirmer, A., Wallis, L. C., Ahmed, S., Amaya, C. M., Crow, S., Husameddin, D., Irani, M., Khanam, S., Lou, D., Morales, I., Vaca, E., and Zaruszak, B. 2023. Connecting Underrepresented Scientists to the Biology Core Curriculum, Volume 1. Open Educational Resources.
Schirmer, A. E., Kumar, V., Schook, A., Song, E. J., Marshall, M. S., and Takahashi, J. S. 2023. Cry1 expression during postnatal development is critical for the establishment of normal circadian period. Front. Neurosci., 17: 1166137.