Eve Van Cauter, PhD
Frederick H. Rawson Professor of Medicine
University of Chicago
Awarded in celebration of the life and work of Eve Van Cauter, whose profound depth of vision linked with meticulous studies revealed the complex interplay of sleep loss and circadian rhythms with metabolism, endocrine regulation, and cardiovascular function. Professor Van Cauter was the first to discover that sleep loss adversely affects the body, not just the brain. She has ensured the transmission of her science through mentoring a generation of circadian and sleep biologists. Her generativity has provided us with an astoundingly abundant and diverse scientific harvest of new concepts and discoveries.
- Sleep loss impacts glucose homeostasis, appetite and secretion of insulin, leptin, and ghrelin
- Reduced sleep quality or duration reduces insulin sensitivity, and elevates risk of obesity and diabetes
- Chronic sleep restriction adversely affects immune function
- Circadian rhythms and sleep modulate hormone glucose regulation, insulin secretion, and insulin clearance
- Sleep and circadian rhythms regulate neuroendocrine function and blood pressure
Harvard Medical School
Division of Sleep Medicine
2010 Annual Prize in Sleep Medicine Recipient
See more information about the 2010 Sleep and Health Benefit Dinner.