Daniel Joyce

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Advisor: Jamie M. Zeitzer
Affiliation:
EPFL Exchange Scholars

Dr. Joyce is a research psychologist at Stanford University who studies the way that light affects human health and wellbeing. He draws from the fields of vision science, sleep and circadian science and neuroscience to understand how light is sensed and interpreted by the brain for non-image forming functions. Such functions include setting circadian rhythms for restful sleep, as well as optimizing mood and cognitive performance based on the time of day. He aims to use this knowledge to understand how dysfunction in this system contributes to diseases of ageing, as well as to develop tuneable light environments that maximize wellness in the home and workplace.

Related Projects

Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute
EPFL-Stanford Exchange
Modelling the Pupil Light Reflex for Non-Image Forming Vision

Although you’re aware of the light that you see, light also affects us in ways that you might not appreciate. These so called “non-image forming” (NIF) pathways were recently discovered, they start in the human eye before projecting to over a dozen brain regions. They modulate aspects of human function including our daily rhythms, our sleep patterns, the way we feel and the way we think.