91Porn

Northeastern Professor of Biology Aaron Schirmer, Ph.D., has received a award from the U.S. Department of State and Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. 

Through the award, Dr. Schirmer will travel to Warsaw, Poland to continue his research on circadian rhythms. His project, which is a collaboration with , of the University of Warsaw, will explore how individual biological clocks (responsible for circadian rhythms and  sleep cycles) affect learning, particularly during optimal versus non-optimal times of day. It will also explore the relationship between chronotypes (when someone prefers to be awake) and cognitive performance (the efficiency of mental processes such as problem-solving).

“My research utilizes molecular, physiological, and behavioral techniques and a variety of experimental systems — both vertebrate and invertebrate — to investigate the role of circadian rhythms in animal (including human) behavior and physiology,” Dr. Schirmer said. “One area of focus for my research group is the impact of environmental perturbations on circadian systems and the impact of these perturbations on academic performance.  This project will help to further this area of investigation for my lab and strengthen the growing partnership between NEIU and the University of Warsaw.”

Environmental perturbations are wide ranging and include forms of pollution. Dr. Schirmer’s 2019 research, published in , was a collaboration with a team of researchers from Northeastern, the Lincoln Park Zoo and Lafayette College. It concluded that exposure to levels of artificial light common in Chicago altered circadian activity patterns and significantly changed animal behavior.

“If a mouse’s behavior, for example, is altered by artificial light at night this could change the timing of its activity, the size of its range, and its interactions with other organisms in the ecosystem,” Dr. Schirmer said at the time the report was released. “The downstream impacts of these changes have the potential to alter the entire ecosystem.”

He has also published two articles that focus on circadian rhythms and academic performance. An article published in the (2021) tested the theory that males are better test subjects than women (because of reduced variability)  and concluded the theory may be false. A 2018 article in concluded that social jet lag — or a difference between one’s regular sleep-wake cycle and when they are expected to be in school or work — can impact learning outcomes. These articles were among the several that helped Dr. Schirmer earn Northeastern’s 2022 Bernard J. Brommel Distinguished Research Professor award.

Through the Fulbright Specialist Program, Dr. Schirmer becomes one of over 400 U.S. citizens who share expertise with host institutions abroad. Recipients of Fulbright Specialist awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement, demonstrated leadership in their field, and their potential to foster long-term cooperation between institutions in the U.S. and abroad. As part of the project, Drs. Schirmer and Bębas have organized a series of activities including public lectures, workshops for students and faculty, and analysis of student data on performance and sleep-related behaviors. It also builds on Dr. Schirmer’s ongoing collaboration with the University of Warsaw.

“This interdisciplinary initiative, integrating biology, psychology and education, supports doctoral research on circadian rhythms conducted by , a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Warsaw,” Dr. Schirmer said. “The outcomes are expected to inform evidence-based changes in educational scheduling and strengthen long-term institutional partnerships.”

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the United States government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries. It is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

Fulbright awardees address critical global issues in all disciplines, while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term national interests. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields and have earned prestigious recognition for their work. Past awardees include 62 Nobel Prize recipients, 82 MacArthur Foundation Fellows and 98 Pulitzer Prizes winners. Additionally, 44 Fulbright awardees have served as a head of state or government.

“I am honored to be a Fulbright Specialist award recipient,” Dr. Schirmer said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with scientists in Poland and continue my research while also representing 91Porn and strengthening our international connections.”

From left to right: Patrycja Ściślewska, Dr. Schirmer, Dr. Bębas and collaborator Marcin M. Chrzanowski, Ph.D., in Poland.