Light O'Clock

In this episode, we speak with Roos Bos, a PhD researcher in the Netherlands studying how light exposure affects preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Roos breaks down:

How the circadian system develops before and after birth

How the NICU environment differs from the rhythmic environment of the womb

Why light-dark cycles may matter during this sensitive period of development and what we currently know about lighting interventions in the NICU

How time cues, such as feeding, breast milk and temperature could help support developing circadian rhythms

Links and references:

Paper: Skin-to-skin contact improves sleep stability in preterm infants

Paper: Towards implementation of continuous biologically relevant light measurements at the bedside in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Cancer and its treatment are often accompanied by symptoms such as fatigue, sleep problems, low mood, and cognitive difficulties. These symptoms frequently occur together, and circadian disruption may be one factor contributing to their development and persistence.

In this episode of Light O’Clock, we speak with Lisa Maria Wu about how cancer and its treatments can affect circadian rhythms and how these changes are measured. We also discuss bright-light therapy and other behavioural approaches that may help strengthen circadian rhythms, as well as what research is still needed before these strategies become part of routine cancer care.

Links and resources:

https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.1009064

10.1002/pon.3553

Is there a best time for a vaccine? In this episode of Light O'Clock, we speak with Dr Cathy A. Wyse about whether the time of day when we receive a vaccine can influence how we respond to it.

We first discuss how circadian rhythms shape the immune system, how vaccines work, and the difference between vaccine response (e.g., antibody levels) and vaccine effectiveness (i.e., protection against infection or disease). We then discuss why the current evidence remains mixed and how factors such as chronotype, sleep, age, sex, prior immunity, and vaccine type may influence results.

Paper reference: https://doi.org/10.1177/07487304241232447

The key message: the immune system is rhythmic, so timing could matter -- but the evidence is not yet strong enough to recommend one specific time of day for vaccination. For now, the most important advice remains: get vaccinated when you can.

In the first episode of Season 4, we start with the foundations of circadian medicine.

Together with our guest Henrik Oster, we take a tour through the circadian system and ask what biological timing has to do with health and disease. We discuss how the body coordinates different physiological and behavioural functions across the 24-hour day, what can happen when internal rhythms become disrupted, and why timing may matter in medicine.

We then introduce three key ideas in circadian medicine: exploiting the clock to optimise the timing of treatments, targeting the clock as part of therapy, and detecting the clock to better personalise healthcare. Finally, we examine the current state of the field, the challenges of integrating circadian principles into clinical practice, and the future of circadian medicine.

This episode sets the stage for the rest of the season, where we will explore specific areas of circadian medicine in more detail – from vaccines and cancer care to neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work. Stay tuned!

Light O'Clock is back with Season 4! In this new season, we explore how biological timing shapes health and disease, and how accounting for circadian rhythms may help improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. We will discuss topics such as immunity and vaccination, cancer care, neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work.

Join us as we take a tour through the emerging field of circadian medicine, and ask what it could mean for the future of healthcare.