Tue Sep 30 6pm WEBMINAR @ www.lrc.rpi.edu/brown

MARIANA FIGUEIRO, Light and Health Program Director and Professor at the Lighting Research Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will speak about her recent Robert S. Brown Traveling Fellowship this Tuesday, September 30th. The presentation will be online at www.lrc.rpi.edu/brown.

Mariana Figueiro: Teaching and Learning about Light and Health

Brazilian-Cuban scientist Mariana Figueiro has concentrated her research on the effects of light on human health, particularly in the areas of alertness, performance, and lighting for older adults. She has authored numerous scientific articles, along with the AARP-sponsored publication, Lighting the Way: a Key to Independence, which provides guidelines for the design of lighting to meet the needs of older adults. Mariana developed a 24-hour lighting plan to help improve sleep quality in older adults and conducted groundbreaking research on the use of lighting to improve postural stability among older populations. She has also been working with the US Navy to implement new lighting on board of submarines. Mariana has recently given a TED Talk in Washington, D.C. on the relationship between light and human health.

Figueiro holds a bachelor’s in architectural engineering from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and a master’s in lighting and a doctorate in multidisciplinary science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her master’s and Ph.D. dissertation research focused on the area of human circadian response to light. Figueiro is the recipient of the 2007 NYSTAR James D. Watson Award, the 2008 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, and the 2010 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute James M. Tien ’66 Early Career Award for Faculty.

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