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The Light and Health Research Center releases monthly newsletters providing Center highlights. See archived news below.

May 2024

Partnering With AriBio and Solux to Commercialize Lighting Devices in Korea

National Institutes of Health to Open Long COVID Clinical Trials 

With Center Director, Mariana Figueiro, PhD as co-investigator, one study investigates light as a potential treatment for long COVID symptoms, including complex sleep disturbances.

Connecting Circadian Rhythm Disruption to Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction

Mariana Figueiro, PhD, and summer intern Ellie Campbell recently published an article outlining hospital lighting design solutions.

Publications about improving safety on the road and in the field:

April 2024

Our Center Is Featured in a Recent Magazine Profile

The Center Gains Another Light and Energy Partner

BC Hydro joins our partnership to support energy conservation and reduce capacity restraints in our grid.

Center Staff Present at Annual LEDucation Conference

Our presenters discussed strategies to assist specifiers in generating attractive, cost-effective, energy-efficient lighting designs that support visual and non-visual design. (PC: Danny Bristoll)

Surveys:

Courses:

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

Congratulations to Mariana Figueiro, PhD, on Her Endowed Professorship Award

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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:

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

Lab at the Light and Health Research Center Opens

The LHRC has officially opened! Here is a sneak peak of our workshop, human subjects lab, black and white labs, and assay lab spaces in Menands, New York.  

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.