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The Light and Health Research Center releases monthly newsletters providing Center highlights. See archived news below.
March 2024
Scientists Reveal Cause of Skin-Color Bias in Pulse Oximetry
Research About Flashing Lights on Emergency Vehicles Presented
John Bullough, PhD, presented at the National Operations Center of Excellence “Talking TIM” webinar to about 200 traffic incident management practitioners.
Better Buildings for Humans Podcast Interviews Researcher
Jen Brons, MS, discussed the importance of lighting for adolescents and the ongoing research for optimizing lighting design.
January/February 2024
Are You the 1 in 600 Who Has Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome?
Want to Improve the Lighting in Your Home?
Jen Brons, MS, provides comments in a recent Consumer Reports article that gives room-by-room lighting tips to enhance ambiance and functionality in your home. From the kitchen to the bedroom, the article offers practical advice on selecting the right light fixtures and bulbs for each space.
Outreach Events
Pedestrians, Cyclists, and Scooter Riders Are at Risk on the Road
John Bullough, PhD, Program Director, attended SAE's Government Industry meeting in Washington, D.C., to discuss road user lighting.
Mark Rea Talks About Light and Our Body Clocks
Mark Rea, PhD, addressed faculty and graduate students at the University of Rochester's Institute of Optics, discussing how the eye's response to light influences our circadian rhythms. He also shared a predictive model for understanding this interaction.
LRx Joins Forces With Mount Sinai to Revolutionize Plant Health With Advanced Lighting Technology
LRx, LLC has joined with the Light for Plant Health Partnership to collaborate on commercializing advanced lighting technology aimed at combating various plant diseases. This involves researchers from Mount Sinai and LRx working together towards this goal.
December 2023
Back to Work? Learn the Latest Findings for Circadian-Effective Lighting for Offices
Learn to Specify Circadian-Effective Lighting
Lighting interventions can improve the lives of dementia patients in assisted living facilities.
Recruiting for National Institutes of Health Studies
The start of a new year is a great time to talk with your loved ones about studies they may be qualified for.
November 2023
Learn to Specify Circadian-Effective Lighting
Sign up for a webinar Tuesday, December 5, at 2 pm to learn the various metrics and the role spectrum plays.
Upcoming Residential Light Fixture Program
Learn about the collaboration between our Center and the American Lighting Association
Articles and Publications:
Learn three approaches to a tailored lighting intervention. Find Them Here
Driving at night can be dangerous for older adults. Learn Some Tricks
A field study determines how light affects multiple myeloma patients. Read the Feature
Check out a recap on light’s impact on health. Share the Interview
From science to application. Quick Learn
Some say we should ditch overhead lighting. Here’s Why
October 2023
Purple Street Lights Could Affect Safety
Influence of Light on Metabolic Control
This is the first study to investigate light-activity alignment in relation to glycemic control in humans.
September 2023
Bright Days, Dark Nights
Center Director Mariana G. Figueiro, PhD, and David Pedler discuss a lighting intervention for Parkinson's disease patients.
Lighting for Emergency Responder Safety
John Bullough, PhD, and colleagues from Penn State conduct a NIOSH-funded emergency vehicle lighting study.
New R01 Awarded by CDC
The Center is funded to study filtered eyewear for healthy melatonin rhythms, visual performance, and alertness in night-shift nurses
Proceed With Caution
John Bullough, PhD, discusses improved lighting for emergency vehicles in the quarterly webinar series: Let's Talk About Light and Health
August 2023
Our Research on Greenhouse Lighting Featured in HortScience
Probe Into Long Covid
Center Director Mariana G. Figueiro, PhD, is part of the nationwide initiative to investigate long-term symptoms of COVID-19.
July 2023
LHRC Presents at International Light Sciences and Technologies Forum
Summer Volunteers
The Center hosted two volunteers to participate in cutting-edge research projects.
Table Talk
Center researchers are exploring light therapy options for senior living communities.
June 2023
Explaining Skin Pigmentation Bias in Pulse Oximetry
Lighting the Way to Prevent Falls
The Center's lighting tips and other pointers for avoiding falls among older adults are outlined in Healthy Aging Magazine.
Table Talk
Light tables are a great solution to provide bright light to residents in senior care facilities.
Other Media:
Center scientists explain how standardizing LED headlight technology could benefit everyone. Read the Article
Center Director Mariana Figueiro, PhD, was interviewed on how red light affects sleep. Read the Story
May 2023
Headlight Glare Makes the News
NBC News’ Vicky Nguyen takes a trip to our lab to interview the Center’s John Bullough, PhD, about why car headlights are so glary nowadays.
Exploring New Ways to Treat Apple Fire Blight Disease
A study of natural UV with photocatalyst titanium dioxide to prevent bacterial fire blight in apple trees has begun in the New York Capital District.
Lighting for the New Office Paradigm
On Tuesday, June 13, at 2 pm, John Bullough, PhD, was "Live! from the LHRC” to teach about glare and how to minimize it.
Publications:
Can a lighting intervention help minimize sleep disturbances in individuals with Parkinson’s disease? Read the Abstract
The magazine designing lighting featured a summary article of the standard observer methodology. Check it Out
Glare is the hot topic. Want to learn more? Read the Article
April 2023
Saving Summer Squash Plants
The Center’s Nick Skinner, MS, discusses diseases of plants and UV-C treatment options farmers can use.
Conference Presentation: Warning Lights, Vehicle Markings, and Headlights
The Center’s John Bullough, PhD, recently presented two papers at the Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress Experience.
Lighting for the New Office Paradigm
On Monday, May 22, at 12 pm, the Center’s Mark Rea, PhD, and Kevin Kampschroer, Chief Sustainability Office, U.S. General Services Administration, participated in a webinar.
Other Announcements:
What’s the cause of headlight glare, and how can we eliminate this safety problem? Learn How
Mariana Figueiro, PhD, and David Reich, MD, President, The Mount Sinai Hospital, discuss lighting for hospitals. Watch Now
In a podcast with Delivered Lumen’s JP Bedell, Mariana Figueiro, PhD, explains misunderstandings about light and sleep. Listen Here
March 2023
Celebrating Women in Lighting
On International Women’s Day, the Center’s Mariana Figueiro, PhD, was presented a 2022 Women in Lighting Design Award for her work in research.
Bright Light in the Day Improves a Hospital Stay
Join David Reich, MD, President of The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Queens, and the Center’s Mariana Figueiro, PhD, for an interview and live Q&A about the important role light plays in a health care setting. Monday, March 27 at 1 pm.
We’ll Have You Saying “So Watt?”
Interested in learning about the Center’s standardized method for comparing luminaires and their potential for delivering circadian-effective light to an observer?
Take Lighting to Hearts
Our researchers recommend a robust daily pattern of exposures to light and darkness for combating the risk and progression of cardiovascular disease.
Other Announcements:
What is the validity of a light survey for predicting circadian-effective light levels? Find Out
The Center is interested in hearing about sleep patterns of individuals 55 and over. Take the Survey
The Center is offering multiple online courses this year. Find Your Course
February 2023
Visual-Cue Lighting Can Reduce Nighttime Falls
The Center is building evidence to support Medicare/Medicaid coverage for in-home use of lighting systems to reduce falls.
Can Tech Help You Reset Your Internal Clock?
The Washington Post reports on light as a mechanism to reset circadian clocks, featuring the Center’s Mariana Figueiro, PhD.
Non-Chemical Treatments for Plant Diseases
The Center’s researchers study the use of ultraviolet (UV) energy to treat the difficult and devastating vegetable plant disease downy mildew.
Blinded By the (Head)lights
Have you noticed the headlights on newer cars have been more blinding recently? You’re not alone.
Educational Events:
Let’s Talk About Light and Health turns to quarterly webinar events for 2023. View the Calendar
Live From the LHRC: A new webinar series to teach about the latest research in lighting. See Presentation Topics
January 2023
The Center Launches Educational Website
Educational materials for light and health topics can be found on our new site. Check back for more updates in the future.
Apply Circadian-Effective Lighting to Your Designs
Find short videos and FAQs about how to promote circadian entrainment with light.
Other Announcements:
The Center kicks off the year with two new education partners: BrainLit and Vantage Lighting. View the Post
Evaluate the efficiency of circadian-effective luminaires using a standard methodology. Read the Manuscript
A four-week lighting intervention showed positive results on sleep, mood, and performance. Subscribe to Read
Allison Thayer, MS, was interviewed in the final 2022 Let’s Talk About Light and Health webinar. View the Series
December 2022
Happy Holidays!
As we wrap up this year, we want to highlight some of this year’s accomplishments.
Equal Lights: Projects Focused on Health Equity
Carol Horowitz, MD, MPH, Director of Mount Sinai’s Institute for Health Equity Research, discusses health inequities in the medical field and biases in devices.
Emergency Flashing Lights Survey
The Center is surveying how people understand flashing lights and vehicle marking colors used on emergency and maintenance vehicles.
Improving the Model for Predicting Circadian Phase
A model for predicting circadian phase from an individual’s light-dark exposure pattern was developed to help diagnose sleep problems due to circadian disruption.
November 2022
Full of Thanks
We are thankful for a year of research with in-person events, installing circadian-effective lighting in homes, and laboratory studies.
Lighting for Improving Sleep in Myeloma Transplant Patients
The magazine designing lighting published a follow up article showing how room lighting can help patients during hospitalization.
Alzheimer’s Association Presents a Mini-Caregiver Conference
On Monday, November 14, researchers attended the conference in Troy, New York to expand outreach on how light can affect individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers.
Other Events:
The Center’s Mark Rea, PhD presented the live webinar “Good Health and Well-Being by Design: Sensible Approaches to Light Pollution” on Thursday, October 27, 2022. See On-Demand Courses
October 2022
LHRC Holds Official Grand Opening
We invited our partners and members of the Mount Sinai community to the grand opening of our laboratory October 17-18, and interviewed attendees about their thoughts on the trajectory of current projects and initiatives.
Turning Light for Health Research into Practice
Mariana Figueiro, PhD, hosts a webinar course to discuss the latest research and show examples of applications.
Making Emergency Vehicle Lights and Markings Safer
Trials continue to look at conditions that convey information to drivers, and help them navigate past work zones and roadside emergencies without endangering first responders.
We Walked to End Alzheimer's Disease
On Saturday, October 1, members of our team joined the community in Albany, and again in NYC on Sunday, October 23.
Recent Awards and Publications:
Ola Alsalman, PhD, received a new grant that will look at circadian rhythm disruption and cognitive impairment. Read About the Grant
John Bullough, PhD, writes about quantifying and predicting glare in circadian-effective lighting installations. Subscribers Can View
Our recent article leads to thought-provoking correspondence with other researchers. Learn More
September 2022
Finger on the Pulse-Ox
Pulse-oximeter measurements can underestimate cardiorespiratory risks for persons with dark skin pigmentation. Our team will investigate ways to eliminate these biases.
Do You Wear Sunglasses at Night?
Congratulations to researcher John Bullough, PhD, of the Light and Health Research Center, who recently published a book titled Understanding Glare in Exterior Lighting, Display, and Related Applications.
Having Trouble Finding Your Keys?
Know an older adult who struggles with memory loss and sleep?
Other News:
On Monday, September 26, at noon ET, we interview Bernard Camins, MD, about using ultraviolet radiation for hospital disinfection. Register Now
General Motors officially joins our Transportation Safety Partnership. Learn More
Last month, John Bullough, PhD, provided many insights into lighting techniques for cars and emergency vehicles. View the Recording
August 2022
Field Trials Using Germicidal Ultraviolet (UV) Begin
Field trials at Kinderhook Creek Farm in Stephentown, New York, investigate the use of UV-C to treat powdery mildew on summer squash, specifically to discover whether leaf canopy agitation increases the efficacy of the UV treatments.
Office Lighting Study in Capital Region
Our lab space is being put to good use with a grant from the Jim H. McClung Foundation to look at distribution, energy, glare, and circadian stimulus.
Online Courses Start in September
Registration for the Lighting Design and Light and Human Health courses close on Tuesday, September 6, and Friday, September 16, respectively.
Safety First
On Monday, August 29, John Bullough, PhD, discusses the important role lighting plays while driving during the day and night.
Partner Events
On Tuesday, July 26, we met with our light and health industry partners for our semi-annual meeting to discuss past and future projects. Want to join the conversation for our October 18-19 partners event?
Recent Awards and Events:
A new grant continues our work with multiple myeloma patients. Find Out More
We will use MRI to look at brain function of Alzheimer’s disease during light therapy. Learn More
How does light exposure contribute to cardiometabolic health and disease disparities? This Study Will Investigate
UL Solutions has become an official education partner. Read the Press Release
If you missed the webinar with Robert Wright, MD, MPH, the event was recorded. Check It Out
July 2022
The Light and Health Research Center Continues to Grow
Our Center recently welcomed multiple full-time staff employees and summer interns.
Assessing the Accuracy of Phone Illuminance Meter Apps
Ever wonder about the accuracy of smartphone illuminance meter apps? In the next episode of “A View From Mount Sinai,” apps were tested and analyzed.
It's a Complicated World Out There: Exposomics and Light
On Monday, July 25, at noon ET, Robert Wright, MD, MPH, is interviewed about how the environment affects life health, disease, and development.
McClung Lighting Research Foundation Funds New Grant
In an office simulation, the team will investigate the effects of luminaire intensity distribution on melatonin, glare, visibility, and energy.
Other Articles:
The Light and Health Research Center partnered with Women in Lighting Design to discuss health equity in lighting.
On Thursday, July 14, Mariana Figueiro, PhD, presented a virtual talk for The Center for Health Design’s “Icons and Innovators” webinar series. View the Event Details
Dr. Figueiro presented a talk to the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center about daylight’s impact on those living with the disease. Visit the Center’s Website
The past and present role of lighting research in the industry is discussed in the most recent designing lighting magazine. Read the Article
Dr. Figueiro recently contributed to Good Light Group’s blog discussing the impact of daylight exposure from electrochromic glass. Check Out the Article
June 2022
The Light and Health Research Center Visits the Farmers Market
The Light and Health Research Center team visited the Farmers Market in Troy, New York, to talk to the local community about our research into the effect of lighting on sleep and overall health.
Fee-Fi-Fo Fungicide: Light As a Natural Pesticide
Join the discussion on Monday, June 27, at noon ET when David Gadoury, PhD, is interviewed about using light to reduce plant diseases.
Skip the Nap: Consolidating Sleep for Older Adults
Mariana Figueiro. PhD, was interviewed about lighting for older adults.
Other Articles:
Congratulations to Mariana Figueiro, PhD, for being selected for the Judges Choice Award for Education and Research in the 2022 Women in Lighting Awards. See All Nominees
Circadian-effective lighting is not simply about how much light to provide; it also depends upon how long that light is provided. Check Out the Publication
Neonatology Today published the transcript for our video titled “A New Kind of Lullaby: Robust Light/Dark Pattern for Babies”. View the Magazine
May 2022
Making Flashing Police Lights More Helpful for Drivers
A Mount Sinai study looked at how police car lights in different settings can be adjusted to alert drivers without confusing them.
LHRC Welcomes New Partners
The LHRC is excited to announce the National Lighting Bureau and Mosheo as Lighting Education Partners.
Lighting to Transform Classrooms
Lighting has the ability to change the classroom environment. See how LHRC researchers began to look at the effects.
McClung Lighting Research Foundation Funds New Grant
Sleep disorders are a growing problem among teenage students. Episode 5 of A View from Mount Sinai explores how lighting can play a role.
Other Articles:
Are Illuminated Vehicle Logos Distracting? Read the study
The team made measurements and observations of projected road markings and adaptive driving beam headlights. View the results
There is still room in the Lighting Design Online Certificate Course. Register for the course
Interested in learning more about the latest research about how to use light to improve health and well-being? Register today
April 2022
Can Light Improve Sleep for Older Adults?
Join a research study to help determine if daytime light may improve sleep health.
Capturing Light at Night from Satellite Imagery
Experts discuss the significance of satellite imagery data to determine the effects of light at night on health and the environment.
A New Kind of Lullaby: Light/Dark Pattern for Babies
Randy Reid interviews Sofia Axelrod, PhD, about the implication of light and darkness, and its impact on the health of babies.
Perking Up the Office with Light
On Monday, April 25, Bryan Steverson of GSA is interviewed about office lighting techniques.
March 2022
Daylight Savings Time and Your Health
People are still talking about which is better: Daylight Saving Time or Standard Time. Experts explain some of the pros and cons of time changes
How Does Light Affect Your Health?
Mariana Figueiro, PhD, Director of the Center, participates in a discussion with the National Lighting Bureau and takes questions from the live audience.
How Light Improves Pedestrian Safety
Learn why traffic accidents involving pedestrians have been on the rise and how lighting can play a role in reducing these accidents.
Out of the Womb: Lighting Up the NICU
Robert White, MD, at Beacon Children’s Hospital, discusses changes in the newborn intensive care unit and how lighting can help.