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METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20251003T101813Z
DTSTART:20251015T130000Z
DTEND:20251015T140000Z
SUMMARY: Manchester Neuroscience Seminar Series - Altug Didikoglu\, Assis
 tant Professor of Neuroscience at Izmir Institute of Technology\, Turkey
 
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DESCRIPTION:Please join the Division of Neuroscience\, Wednesday 15 Octob
 er 2025\, for the Manchester Neuroscience Seminar Series\, the speaker w
 ill be Altug Didikoglu\, Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Izmir In
 stitute of Technology\, Turkey.\n\nThis seminar will be hosted by Profes
 sor Timothy Brown.\n\nTitle: Real-World Light Exposure and Its Impact on
  Sleep and Cognitive Function\n\nTalk abstract: Light is a regulator of 
 circadian rhythms and cognitive performance\, as established by controll
 ed laboratory studies. However\, how everyday light exposure shapes indi
 vidual differences in sleep and cognition remains less understood. To br
 idge this gap\, we combined real-world behavioural monitoring with objec
 tive measures of light exposure. Our findings show that cumulative light
  exposure over several hours was linked to greater subjective alertness 
 and faster reaction times\, both during the day and at night. By contras
 t\, higher pre-bedtime light exposure predicted longer sleep onset laten
 cy. More stable daily light exposure\, characterised by earlier and stro
 nger daytime light and reduced nighttime light\, was associated with bet
 ter cognitive performance\, earlier sleep timing\, and improved sleep qu
 ality. Importantly\, we identified considerable inter-individual variati
 on in photosensitivity under natural conditions - variation not captured
  by standard laboratory measures such as pupillometric or perceptual ass
 ays. Extending this approach across cultural contexts\, we observed syst
 ematic differences in light exposure patterns and in the non-visual effe
 cts of light between countries. These findings point to both biological 
 and sociocultural influences on light sensitivity. Together\, our result
 s highlight the central role of everyday light exposure in shaping sleep
  and cognitive health.\n\nBio: Altug Didikoglu is an Assistant Professor
  of Neuroscience at Izmir Institute of Technology\, Turkey. He earned hi
 s undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology from Istanbul Technical Univ
 ersity before moving to the UK for a Master’s in Developmental Neurobiol
 ogy at King’s College London and a PhD in Neuroscience at the University
  of Manchester. Before returning to Turkey\, he gained postdoctoral rese
 arch experience at the University of Manchester with Prof. Robert Lucas.
  Throughout his career\, he has studied various aspects of circadian rhy
 thms\, including their development\, aging\, and the influence of enviro
 nmental and genetic factors in humans. His recent work focuses on the ef
 fects of light exposure on humans in real-world settings.\n\nAll are wel
 come\n\n
STATUS:TENTATIVE
TRANSP:TRANSPARENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
LOCATION:Michael Smith Lecture Theatre\, Michael Smith Building\, Manches
 ter
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