Dynamic Interplay of Circadian Rhythms and Sleep on Health
Phyllis C. Zee, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine
Chief of Sleep Medicine in the Department of Neurology
Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor of Neurology
Professor of Neurology (Sleep Medicine)
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
At Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Phyllis C. Zee is professor of Neurobiology, Benjamin and Virginia T. Boshes Professor in Neurology, and chief of the Division of Sleep Medicine. She also serves as director of the Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine, where she oversees an interdisciplinary program in basic and translational sleep and circadian rhythm research; findings from her team have paved the way for innovative approaches to improve sleep and circadian health. A central theme of Dr. Zee’s research program is understanding the role of circadian-sleep interactions on the expression and development of cardiometabolic and neurologic disorders. Dr. Zee’s research has focused on the effects of age and neurodegeneration on sleep and circadian rhythms and pathophysiology of circadian sleep-wake disorders. Dr. Zee also has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed original articles, literature reviews, and book chapters on the topics of sleep, circadian rhythms, and sleep-wake disorders. She has trained over 50 pre- and post-doctoral students and has mentored numerous faculty members.
Summary
https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=52619
Sleep and circadian rhythms are key regulators of biological processes at multiple organizational levels. Strong evidence from basic to epidemiological studies link circadian and/or sleep disruption with the expression and development of cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative and mood disorders. In addition to innate disturbances, societal and environmental changes that disproportionally affect sleep and circadian health in vulnerable populations result in health disparities. Although sleep and circadian processes are independently regulated, there is increasing recognition that these processes interact in a very dynamic way. Furthermore, the discoveries of the ubiquitous nature of circadian clocks in nearly all tissues indicate that disruption of the intricate interplay between central and peripheral circadian clock and sleep mechanisms negatively impact health. In this lecture, we will discuss the implications of circadian-sleep disruption for human health, focusing on cardio-metabolic and neurodegenerative disorders, and the promise of circadian-sleep based interventions such as timed light exposure and time-restricted feeding to improve health outcomes by enhancing the cross-talk between central and peripheral clock-sleep mechanisms.
- Provide a brief history of the parallel and intersecting developments in circadian and sleep research.
- Recognize the intricate temporal interaction between circadian rhythms and sleep, from central and peripheral mechanisms, and their impact on health.
- Appreciate the potential of interventions that leverage circadian-sleep interactions for enhancing the health span (focus on neurological and cardiometabolic health)
This page was last updated on Thursday, February 22, 2024