Abstract
On 6 January 2025, the field of chronobiology lost a pioneer in Sue Ann Lingenfelter Binkley Tatem, better known as Sue Binkley in scientific circles. Born in Dayton, OH, but moved to Colorado in her high school years, Dr. Binkley received a BS in Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she met her future husband, Tim Binkley. Sue and Tim had a daughter, Shelley, before moving to Austin, TX, where Sue studied biological rhythms with Michael Menaker at the University of Texas. Sue and Tim separated in 1970 and Sue received her PhD in 1971. Her dissertation research extended the seminal studies in the Menaker Lab showing that surgical removal of the pineal gland of house sparrows, Passer domesticus, abolished free-running circadian locomotor rhythms by demonstrating that circadian patterns of core body temperature were similarly affected. Importantly, her research demonstrated the significance of physiological coupling among oscillators and their multiple outputs.
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