Mariana Figueiro, Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai
Virtual
Thursday, April 8, 2027
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET
Credits TBA
Intermediate
This presentation will explore how aging affects the visual, non-visual, and perceptual responses to light, and how tailored lighting strategies can enhance visibility, improve sleep, and reduce the risk of falls. The session will also discuss 24-hour lighting principles that promote health, safety, and well-being among older adults.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how the the visual, non-visual and perceptual systems change with age
- Identify lighting characteristics needed to impact visual, non-visual and perceptual responses in older adults
- Learn about the research on the impact of light on visual, non-visual and perceptual systems of older adults
- Develop 24-h lighting schemes for the aging population
Speaker
Mariana Figueiro
Professor and Director
Light and Health Research Center at Mount Sinai
Mariana G. Figueiro, PhD, is a Mount Sinai Professor of Light and Health Research and the Director of the Light and Health Research Center in the Department of Population Health Science and Policy at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is well known for her research on the effects of light on human health, sustainability, circadian photobiology, and lighting for older adults.
In addition to performing basic research investigating the impact of light on physiology, Dr. Figueiro conducts field studies examining the impact of circadian-effective lighting in office spaces and works in nursing homes and assisted living facilities to use light to improve sleep, mood, and behavior in Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment patients. Most recently, she has been working with Mount Sinai physicians to improve the lives of those undergoing cancer treatments and who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease and other neurological diseases. She is also field-testing novel lighting systems to reduce falls.
Dr. Figueiro is a Fellow of the Illuminating Engineering Society (FIES) and the author of more than 140 scientific articles in her field of research. She has brought attention to the significance of light and health as a topic of public interest through her TEDMED talk.