Chronobiology Public Lecture

To open the second biannual conference of the Canadian Society of Chronobiology, our keynote speaker will be giving a public lecture on the control of circadian rhythms and their importance in maintaining good health.

Circadian rhythms are those daily cycles of physiology and behavior that persist when organisms are isolated from the external world. They are expressed at all levels of life, from prokaryotic blue-green algae to higher plants and animals. Their biological role is to anticipate and thereby allow organisms to adapt to the solar day and night. In humans the cycle of sleep and wakefulness is the most obvious circadian rhythm, reflecting a profound alternation of brain states. Disruption of our circadian program through shift work, old age and neurological disease is a significant and growing cause of chronic illness.

The principal circadian pacemaker is located in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, where individual neurons can operate as self-sustained circadian clocks. This same clock mechanism is also present in our major organ systems; heart, lungs, liver, kidney etc. The SCN maintains synchrony amongst these sub-ordinate clocks via its control over behavior, neuroendocrine pathways and the autonomic nervous system.

About the speaker

Dr. Michael Hastings from Cambridge University and the Medical Research Council in the UK is one of the world leaders in circadian research. He received his PhD in Marine Ecology in 1980 from the University of Liverpool. Dr. Hastings has received numerous honors. Most notably, he is a Fellow in both the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal Society.”