PLEASE NOTE: The event has been postponed due to illness. We will announce the new date as soon as possible on our website. Thank you for your understanding.
Biology has many rhythms whose periods range from milliseconds rhythms, lunar/monthly, and yearly; some insect species even have multi-year cycles.
Circadian rhythms are internally generated in almost all living organisms. In mammals, the master circadian clock is located in the brain, and its internal rhythm is synchronized to the environmental day by light information transmitted through the eye. In turn, the circadian clock affects all known physiology, including the timing and content of sleep, hormone release, mood and alertness, metabolism, hunger and gastrointestinal function, cardiovascular function, and neurobehavioral performance.
Appropriate timing of medications or interventions is important for improving clinical results and/or reducing adverse side effects. When the circadian clock is not synchronized to the environmental time, as in night shift-work or jet-lag, these systems are disrupted and people complain of being tired when they want to be awake, insomnia, stomach distress, poor alertness, and other symptoms.
Sleep is the most obvious rhythm affected by the circadian clock. Sufficient sleep is vital for normal function; insufficient sleep and/or sleep disorders are associated with increased risk of hypertension, obesity, mood disorders, errors and accidents. In this talk, I will discuss these biological rhythms and how they affect performance and mood.
Welcome address and introduction: Kerstin Schmidt, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt / BAA-Vorstand
Moderation: Lauren Tonti, Harvard Club Munich
Elizabeth Klerman is Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston MA, USA. She received her Bachelors degree from MIT and her MD and PhD degrees from Harvard University. At Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, her areas of research are (i) the application of circadian and sleep research principles to normal and pathophysiologic states and (ii) mathematical analysis and modeling of human circadian rhythms and sleep. She also is active in teaching and mentoring in patient-oriented research for medical school students, fellows, and junior faculty.
Organizers: Bavarian American Academy, Harvard Club Munich
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