https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/workshop_ALAN

Workshop: Shift Work at Night, Artificial Light at Night, and Circadian Disruption

Information Forum on Light at Night

Thursday, March 10, 2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. EST 
Friday, March 11, 2016 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. 
Location: Rodbell Auditorium in the David P. Rall Building
NIEHS, Research Triangle Park, NC

Many people experience interruptions in light-dark cycles due to their lifestyle choices (e.g. use of electronic devices at night), location of their residences (e.g., urban light pollution), or working at night (e.g., shift work). Exposures to artificial light at night (ALAN) or changes in the timing of exposures to natural light (such as with ‘jet lag’) may disrupt biological processes controlled by endogenous circadian rhythms, potentially resulting in adverse health outcomes. NTP is interested in understanding the health effects of circadian disruption related to ALAN and shift work. NTP’s Office of the Report on Carcinogens (ORoC) and Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) plan to conduct health hazard assessments focusing on cancer (ORoC) and non-cancer health outcomes (OHAT).

NTP is convening a workshop on March 10-11, 2016, to obtain external scientific input on topics important for informing the literature-based health hazard assessments including strategies for integrating data across evidence streams and exposure scenarios, and on data gaps and research needs.

The workshop includes the following sessions:
  • circadian disruption
  • ALAN
  • shift work and trans-meridian travel (jet lag)
  • additional overlapping exposures in ALAN/shift work studies
  • strategies to synthesize across different types of exposure scenarios studies
  • data gaps and research needs

Each session will start with a brief presentation followed by a short question-and-answer period and/or moderator-led discussion.  

Federal Register notice
  • Amended notice Registration to attend the workshop in person is now available for March 10 and March 11, and will close prior to March 4 if space capacity at NIEHS is reached. The webcast will still be available on both March 10 and 11. Registration to view the webcast is requested, but not required.
Agenda
Flyer
Speaker Information
Meeting Materials

Videos and Closed Captioning
Welcome and Introduction Dr. Kristina Thayer, NIEHS
Background and Workshop Objectives Dr. Ruth Lunn, NIEHS
Overview of circadian disruption, biomarkers, and experimental models Dr. Fred Turek, Northwestern University
Presentations  Overview of light at night and its association with circadian disruption Dr. Mariana Figueiro, Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Overview of studies of health effects and biomarkers of circadian disruption in humans Dr. Richard Stevens, University of Connecticut
Overview of studies of health effects and biomarkers of circadian disruption in experimental animals Dr. Randy Nelson, Ohio State University  
Overview of types and characteristics of shift work and the concept of shift work as a complex exposure scenario Dr. Roel Vermeulen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Overview of studies of shift workers and health effects and/or biomarkers of circadian disruption in humans Dr. Johnni Hansen, Danish Cancer Society
Overview of studies of health effects and biomarkers of circadian disruption in experimental animal model studies of shiftwork or jet lag Dr. Andrew Coogan, Maynooth University, Ireland
Circadian Disruption Discussion
Characteristics of Artificial Light Discussion
Characteristics of Shift Work Discussion
Characteristics of Sleep Discussion
Shift Work at Night, Artificial Light at Night, and Circadian Disruption Discussion
Artificial Light at Night Closing Discussion