Light and Health Research Updates from Harvard, Mt. Sinai, Stanford, and Thomas Jefferson

George C. Brainard has directed Jefferson's Light Research Program since 1984. This program's research studies the effects of light on neuroendocrine physiology and circadian regulation in humans. Using the techniques of photobiology, radioimmunoassay, and performance testing, this group has documented how various visible and nonvisible light sources influence both hormonal balance and behavior. Current studies include elucidating the action spectrum of melatonin regulation, investigating the phase shifting capacities of light, studying the influence of light on tumor progression, and testing new light treatment devices for winter depression.

Shadab Rahman is an associate neuroscientist in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. His primary research interest is in human circadian photobiology with the overarching goal to develop effective photobiologic countermeasures for sleep and circadian disruption. His research has provided novel insights on how light affects human physiology, which can translate to impactful changes in everyday settings such as homes and offices, healthcare facilities, and space missions.

Mark S. Rea, as Professor of Architecture and Cognitive Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and now as a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, I have been involved in modeling the human visual response to light, including a model of suprathreshold visual performance and of mesopic vision. My research team published the first models of both murine and human circadian phototransduction with application to Alzheimer’s disease research. I led the development of analytical techniques to quantify circadian disruption from rest/activity and light/dark patterns in humans that can be applied to animal models. I served as the Director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer from 1988 to 2017 and have experience overseeing budgets, staff, and communications with sponsoring agencies such as the NIH. I have published more than 250 scientific and technical articles related to circadian rhythms, vision, human factors, lighting technologies, and applications. I was the editor-in-chief of the 8th and 9th editions of the Illuminating Engineering Society Lighting Handbook, the primary technical reference for the lighting industry.

Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, was with the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY from 1998-2020, where she served as Director from 2017-2020. She was also a tenured Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute from 2006-2020. She was recently hired by the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to start and lead the Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai. She is well known for her research on the effects of light on human health, sustainability, circadian photobiology, and lighting for older adults. Dr. Figueiro is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (FIES) and the author of more than 120 scientific articles in her field of research. Her work is featured in many media outlets and she has brought attention to the significance of light and health as a topic of public interest through her TEDMED talk.

Steven W. Lockley, Ph.D., is a Neuroscientist in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School. He received his B.Sc. (Hons) in Biology from the University of Manchester, UK in 1992 and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Surrey, UK in 1997. He joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School in 2003. He has over 25 years of research experience in circadian rhythm and sleep, particularly the non-visual effects of light in sighted and blind people. He has studied the effects of light on the circadian pacemaker, sleep and alertness including the role of light wavelength, timing, duration and pattern. This work has led to advances in architectural and clinical lighting applications designed to improve alertness, safety and health. Dr. Lockley has published more than 140 original reports on circadian rhythms, sleep or lighting and his research is funded by NASA and the NIH among others.

Dr. John Hanifin is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Director of the Thomas Jefferson University Light Research Program. Dr. Hanifin has managed the Light Research Program for the last 23 years. He completed his doctoral degree in Biochemical Sciences from the University of Surrey. In addition to serving as Project Manager for NIH and NASA sponsored research studies, he has served on several US Department of Energy panels examining how solid state lighting can impact human and animal physiology. Using the techniques of radioimmunoassay, performance testing and photobiology, Dr. Hanifin has successfully completed empirical studies on polychromatic light mixtures of blue light for circadian, neuroendocrine and neurobehavioral effects in humans. Current studies include elucidating the photoreceptor systems for melatonin regulation, studying the influence of light wavelength and intensity on tumor progression, and testing new solid state lighting systems for both Earth and space applications.

Dr. Jamie Zeitzer is an associate professor in Psychiatry at Stanford University and a health science specialist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. For more than 25 years, Dr. Zeitzer has conducted researched on sleep, circadian rhythms, and the brain’s response to light. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts on these topics and lectured internationally about novel ways to manipulate sleep and circadian rhythms. He obtained his PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University and his bachelor’s in biology from Vassar College. His most recent work has focused on optimizing lighting for human health and the use of mobile technology to assess and change sleep and psychiatric health.