We all know how a bad night’s sleep can affect how we feel. In fact, the disruption of our sleep has been implicated at many levels of human disease, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and disorders associated with aging.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host a free panel discussion that will focus on the role of sleep and the circadian rhythms in human health. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the cutting-edge research in this field. 

The event will be held at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall is and is free and open to the public. Doors open at 5 p.m. for refreshments; the talk begins at 5:30 p.m.

Speakers:

Dr. Jennifer Hurley is the Richard Baruch M.D. Chair and Associate Department Head of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her research interests are focused on the molecular mechanisms that time circadian rhythms and how changes to these mechanisms can affect immunological states in the context of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Dr. Agung Julius is a Professor in the Department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He obtained his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Dr. Julius has an active research program focused on the development of algorithms and theory for optimization and biological signal processing, with applications in circadian rhythms and sleep.

Dr. Elizabeth Klerman is a Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Her research interests are in the application of sleep and circadian rhythms principles to normal physiology and to diseases and disorders and in mathematical analyses and modeling of sleep and circadian rhythms. Her teaching and mentoring focuses on the conduct and analyses of human clinical research.

Dr. John Wen is the Russell Sage Professor in Engineering and Head of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  He has been an active researcher in control, robotics, and automation for over four decades.  He is an IEEE Fellow and recipient of the 2013 IEEE Control Systems Society Transition to Practice Award.

This event is part of RPI’s yearlong Bicentennial celebration and the 20th-anniversary celebration of RPI’s Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D. Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies. It is co-sponsored by the National Institute of Health T32 Training Grants in Biomolecular Science and Engineering, and Alzheimer’s Disease at the Interface of Data Science, Engineering and Biology.

RSVP now.