On April 16th, our group, in collaboration with the Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms (SLTBR), the Daylight Academy (DLA), and Luger Research (LR), organized and presented the 'deLIGHTed Talks - Time Matters - Shining Light on Metabolic Health' lectures.
Welcome, Introduction by Charna Dibner, Geneva University
Charna Dibner, moderator of deLIGHTed Talks 7, provides a brief introduction of the Daylight Academy and our circadian clocks, explaining how they work, what happens if they malfunction, and how they are measured.
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By Kathryn Reid, Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the Division of Sleep Medicine.
From the Real World to the Lab: Why Light Matters for Metabolic Health The impact of light is dependent on when it occurs relative to the internal biological clock, and as such the timing of when we get light or dark across 24-hours matters. Light exposure patterns are a modifiable factor that can have significant impact on health and wellbeing. Results from real world and laboratory-controlled studies that examine the impact of light exposure on health will be discussed. From pregnant women to older adults, data from real-world monitoring of light levels suggests that higher levels of light exposure in the few hours before and during sleep are associated with poor metabolic health.
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By Jan-Frieder Harmsen, since 2023, he is working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Healthy Living Spaces Lab at the University Hospital at RTWH Aachen UniversityRTWH Aachen University.
Dr. Harmsen talks about a recently completed study, in which he tested if natural daylight during office hours is more beneficial for metabolic health outcomes of type 2 diabetes patients compared to constant artificial lighting.
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Including Q&A with the Audience
Panelists: Kathryn Reid & Jan-Frieder Harmse
Moderation: Charna Dibner