Gena Glickman

Dr. Gena Glickman is currently with the Center for Circadian Biology at University of California, San Diego. She is a behavioral neuroscientist specializing in the biological effects of light, with a particular interest in how natural cycles of light and darkness serve to regulate circadian rhythms, seasonal cycles and neuroendocrine responses in mammals. Her work has specific implications for further understanding alertness/performance, sleep disturbances, mood disorders and certain hormone sensitive cancers. Studies to date have examined the influence of different lighting characteristics (e.g. exposure parameters, prior light history) on circadian resetting, melatonin suppression, and the efficacy of therapeutic applications. By employing a variety of behavioral and molecular techniques in both human and rodent models, she has further identified the neural mechanisms that mediate light in mammals. These basic research findings are now being applied in real-world settings, including several ongoing projects that examine the relationship between circadian rhythms, light and human health in unique populations, such as shiftworkers, service members, and infants and children.