Louis Ptáček, M.D.

Ptáček uses human genetics tools to study patients with an impressive range of human phenotypes. He pioneered the field of ‘channelopathies,’ which encompasses a large group of episodic/electrical disorders of muscle, heart and brain. More recently, he has entered the challenging field of behavioral genetics and established the field of human sleep genetics. He and his colleagues use genetics to help us understand what sleep is and why we need it. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, the American Association of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science.