Expert Profile Image

Prof. Debra J. Skene

Professional information

Contact

See professional website

Organisation

University of Surrey

Department

Section of Chronobiology

Job title

Professor

Based in

United Kingdom

Language

English

Publications

Thapan, K., Arendt, J. and Skene, D.J. An action spectrum for melatonin suppression: evidence for a novel non-rod, non-cone photoreceptor system in humans. J. Physiol. (2001) 535, 261-267

Herljevic, M., Middleton, B., Thapan, K. and Skene, D.J. Light-induced melatonin suppression: Age-related reduction in response to short wavelength light. Experimental Gerontol. (2005) 40, 237-242.

Brown, T.M., Brainard, G.C., Cajochen, C., Czeisler, C.A., Hanifin, J.P., Lockley, S.W., Lucas, R.J., Munch, M., O'Hagan, J.B., Peirson, S.N., Price, L.L.A., Roenneberg, T., Schlangen, L.J.M., Skene, D.J., Spitschan, M., Vetter, C., Zee, P.C. and Wright Jr. K.P. Recommendations for daytime, evening, and night-time indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep and wakefulness in healthy adults. PLoS Biol 2022, Mar 17; 20(3):e3001571. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001571.

Societies & organisations

European Sleep Research Society

European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS)

Daylight interests

Working on daylight in relation to

HumansAnimalsMicrobesCellsSocietyBuildingsCitiesTechnology

Why daylight matters in my work

Exposure to daylight is critical to maintain synchronisation between the body's circadian timing system and the 24 h day.

Daylight Academy projects I worked on

Lightbook, The role of daylight for humans, ENLIGHT-Field: Field research extension of the ENLIGHT Checklist and Guidelines for daylight, electric and mixed field research

Good to know about me

I could also have worked as

Film Director!

I would have loved to have a coffee with

Albert Einstein

Most beautiful song of all time

Parsifal prelude (Wagner)

Disciplines

Main discipline

Biology

Other disciplines

Sociology, Art

Fields of expertise

Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Chronobiology, Circadian Neuroscience, Endocrinology, Health in Buildings, Lighting Design, Lighting Technology, Sleep Research, Vision Science, Other, Metabolism