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Sociogenomic aspects and social dynamics in sleep behaviours and night shift work

29 May 2024, 1:00 pm–2:00 pm

Commuters walk around a London train station; some are made blurry by movement. Image credit: Chris Mann / Adobe Stock.

Join this event to hear Evelina Akimova discuss whether genetic propensity for eveningness protects night workers against sleep penalties.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

Tobias Ruttenauer

Location

Room G05
55-59 Gordon Square
London
WC1H 0NU

Night shift employees represent up to one-quarter of working populations, and increasing evidence shows that night shift work is a risk factor for various health conditions.

Prolonged circadian disruption is one mechanism driving adverse effects. Individual differences in chronotypes, however, introduce differences in their abilities to adapt and tolerate shift schedules.

Using data from the UK Biobank and multiple genetic, self-reported and accelerometer measures, Evelina will discuss evidence of the protective effect of a genetic propensity for eveningness, strongest for those working longer night shifts.

The seminar will also cover how social and environmental factors interact with night shift work that impacts sleep health by applying the stress process model as a theoretical framework.


This event will be particularly useful for those interested in molecular genetics, social science genomics, and health inequalities.

Please note this is a hybrid event and can be joined either in-person or online.


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About the Speaker

Dr Evelina Akimova

Evelina Akimova is an incoming Assistant Professor in Sociology at Purdue University, a Postdoctoral Researcher in Biosocial Research at the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and a Non-Stipendiary Research Fellow at Nuffield College.

Her main research areas are health inequalities, chronotype, and wellbeing, where she uses methods from computational social science and statistical genetics. Her current research focuses on the use of molecular genetics, survey, and accelerometer data to understand the complex interplay between chronotype and labor market decisions, trajectories, and experiences.

More about Dr Evelina Akimova