Biological Implications of Circadian Disruption: A Modern Health Challenge

Laura K. Fonken · Randy J. Nelson

Oct 2023 · Cambridge University Press

Ebook

934

Pages

Ratings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More

About this ebook

Life on earth has evolved under a consistent cycle of light and darkness caused by the earth's rotation around its axis. This has led to a 24-hour circadian system in most organisms, ranging all the way from fungi to humans. With the advent of electric light in the 19th century, cycles of light and darkness have drastically changed. Shift workers and others exposed to high levels of light at night are at increased risk of health problems, including metabolic syndrome, depression, sleep disorders, dementia, heart disease, and cancer. This book will describe how the circadian system regulates physiology and behavior and consider the important health repercussions of chronic disruption of the circadian system in our increasingly lit world. The research summarized here will interest students in psychology, biology, neuroscience, immunology, medicine, and ecology.

About the author

Dr. Laura K. Fonken is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Austin, USA. She earned her BS in Biology and Psychology from Syracuse University before completing a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at The Ohio State University in 2013. She has published over sixty academic papers and reviews, twenty of which are focused on circadian regulation of physiology and behavior. She was awarded the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Frank A. Beach Early Career Award and the Texas Society for Circadian Biology and Medicine Ron Konopka Junior Faculty Award.

Dr. Randy J. Nelson is Professor and Inaugural Chair of the Department of Neuroscience at West Virginia University, USA. He holds the Hazel Ruby McQuain Chair for Neurological Research. He also directs the WVU Center for Foundational Neuroscience Research and Education, and the foundational science program for the Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. He earned his AB and MA degrees in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, USA, before completing a Ph.D. in Psychology and a Ph.D. in Endocrinology. He has authored and edited ten books, including An Introduction to Behavioral Endocrinology (6th edition, 2022).

Rate this ebook

Tell us what you think.

Reading information

Smartphones and tablets

Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.

Laptops and computers

You can listen to audiobooks purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.

eReaders and other devices

To read on e-ink devices like Kobo eReaders, you'll need to download a file and transfer it to your device. Follow the detailed Help Center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

Report illegal content