The Regulation of Circadian Rhythms by Light: The Impact of Ocular Disease 🌙👁️
Our biology is governed by a 24-hour biological clock that instructs us when it is the best time to sleep, eat, think and carry out a myriad of other essential tasks. Individuals who lack eyes or who have suffered severe eye damage are unable to entrain to the light/dark cycle, drifting through time and experiencing unremitting sleep/wake disruption. Professor Russell Foster discusses new and exciting progress in identifying drugs that “mimic” the effects of light on the clock. Tea and coffee are available from 5pm, with a networking drinks reception after the talk from 6:30–7pm.
What to expect:
🌙 The science of the body clock — How circadian rhythms are generated and regulated by light, and why a 24-hour internal clock governs so much of our daily biology
👁️ When vision loss disrupts time — Explore ‘time blindness’ in visually impaired people, and the promising new drugs that could mimic light’s effects on the clock
🏛️ A leading researcher in conversation — Professor Foster heads Oxford’s Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology and directs the Sleep and Circadian Research Institute; the talk is open to the public and members of the University, with a drinks reception to follow