Dr. McClung's research program focuses on the role of circadian rhythms in the development and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Her work has utilized rodent models, cell culture work, and human tissue to define the mechanisms by which circadian genes regulate neuronal circuitry, mood, reward, motivation, anxiety, and other constructs associated with psychiatric disorders.
Her recent work has focused largely on mood disorders, schizophrenia and substance use disorders and uses cutting edge technology to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie these diseases. Recent work has also focused largely on treatment development, in particular treatments that better align or enhance circadian rhythms.
Dr. McClung is currently the director of the NIDA funded Center for Adolescent Reward, Rhythms and Sleep (CARRS) which is a translational center that uses rodent models and human clinical studies to understand the contribution of sleep and circadian disruptions to addiction vulnerability in adolescents.