The European Biological Rhythms Society | |
| Formation | September 4, 2005 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
| Type | Scientific organization |
| Legal status | Active |
| Purpose | Study and advancement of biological rhythms research |
| Origins | European Pineal Study Group (1976) |
| Services | International congresses, awards, research collaboration |
| Fields | Chronobiology, biological rhythms |
President | Charalambos Kyriacou (2023–2027) |
| Award(s) |
|
| Website | ebrs-online |
Formerly called | European Pineal and Biological Rhythms Society (2000), European Pineal Society (1990), European Pineal Study Group (1976) |
The European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS) is a scientific organization dedicated to the study of biological rhythms, including circadian, seasonal, and other time-based physiological processes in living organisms. Founded in 2005, the society serves as a hub for chronobiologists, or scientists who study biological rhythms and their effects on living organisms, across Europe and more broadly across the world. It hosts international congresses biennially to present advancements in chronobiology and continues a tradition of organized biological rhythms research in Europe that dates back to the 1970s, with roots in the earlier European Pineal Study Group. EBRS is also known for awarding prominent lectureships and honors to recognize outstanding contributions to the field. It is a unique society that has developed overtime as the field of biological rhythms has evolved. EBRS functions to connect scientists and enthusiasts within the field, as well as other societies, contributing to the future of chronobiological sciences.
The EBRS was established in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, on September 4, 2005. EBRS traces its origins to earlier organizations, including the European Pineal Study Group (founded in Amsterdam in 1976), the European Pineal Society (1990), and the European Pineal and Biological Rhythms Society (2000). [1] [2] The EPSG, or original reiteration of this group, derived from a group of people interested in studying the pineal gland and the brain while encouraging varied approaches to science. An early letter regarding the formation of the EPSG written by Professor Paul Pévet claims that "[t]his association would be open to all scientists actively working in the field of pineology [i.e., the study of the pineal gland] ... as well as to all scientists interested in this field". [3]
The evolution of this society reflects changes in the research regarding biological rhythms at the time. In the early days of the society, study of the pineal gland was a major focus within the field of chronobiology and a focus of the members of the group. In 2000, the European Pineal Study Group became the European Pineal and Biological Rhythms Society, reflecting a change of the scope of the society to become broader. The final foundation of the EBRS as it is known today has facilitated collaborations with other similar groups around the globe. [3]
The development of the EBRS is best understood through the evolution of chronobiology research in Europe. Historically, two principal currents have defined research in this domain. One school, represented by figures such as Franz Halberg and Alain Reinberg, emphasized the systematic study of biological rhythms to optimize medical outcomes. This approach emerged during the mid-20th century as a specialized branch of physiology that sought to refine the temporal organization of physiological functions for improved disease prevention, targeted intervention, and personalized pharmacological timing. It later led to the conceptual foundation of chronotherapy [4] and the broader medical discipline of chronobiology. [5]
A second tradition, associated with scientists like Colin Pittendrigh and Jürgen Aschoff, focused on understanding the fundamental nature of biological clocks. This mechanistic approach prioritized the discussion of rhythm generation, anatomical substrates, and the molecular and genetic basis of circadian timing systems. [6]
As the EBRS originates in a study group initially focused on the pineal gland and neuroendocrine regulation, the society was "by birth" aligned with the mechanistic approach. However, from its earliest phases, it embraced a broad intellectual inclusivity, welcoming both European and non-European researchers from medical fields including, but not limited to, clinical, anatomical, and pharmaceutical. [3]
The EBRS also distinguished itself from its precursors by adopting the terminology of "Biological Rhythms" over "Chronobiology". [3] The latter was originally used in the context of clinical timing, disease prevention, and pharmacological optimization. While this focus was valuable, it did not fully capture the growing diversity of approaches being developed within the field, particularly those rooted in systems of neuroscience and molecular biology. [7]
In contrast, the term biological rhythms was viewed by the early members of the EBRS as conceptually more expansive. It accommodated a broader range of research objectives—from understanding intracellular feedback loops and neuronal network oscillations to investigating organisms' behavioral patterns. [3]
Till this day, the EBRS continues to organize international congresses, promote early-career researchers, and collaborate with other scientific bodies such as the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR) and the Japanese Society for Chronobiology to shape the future of chronobiological science. [8]
Since 1978, the EBRS has been hosting regular congress meetings in partnership with universities, sponsors, and affiliated scientific organizations across Europe every 2 to 3 years on frontier research in chronobiology. [9] Notable among these partners are the Japanese Society for Chronobiology and the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS). The congress typically takes place in the summer and runs for five days. It's open to researchers from around the world, with abstract submissions accepted up to four months in advance. Acceptance decisions are usually sent out two months before the event, allowing attendees to plan accordingly. [10] Registration fees range from €160 to €700, depending on factors like early registration and participant category. [11] [12] More than just a scientific conference, the EBRS meetings are a space for interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration for breakthrough. Researchers present new findings, debate evolving ideas, and discuss future directions for the field. [13] From lectures to poster sessions, the event encourages participants to connect across generations, disciplines, and continents. [13]
In awareness to carbon dioxide emission footprint, CAbon REduced conferencing (CARE) was pioneered in 2019, dedicated to the contribution of experimental values and collaboration opportunities. [14] [15] CARE is known for its prompt organization of virtual meetings. Of the two it has fostered, the one on July 9, 2020 hosted a workshop that explored the interaction of chronobiology with SARS-CoV-2 sciences, reviewing the circadian clock's regulation in the viral infection process and informing potential therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 epidemics. [16] [17] [18]
| Number [9] | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1978 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 2 | 1981 | Giessen, Germany |
| 3 | 1984 | Pecs, Hungary |
| 4 | 1987 | Modena, Italy |
| 5 | 1990 | Guildford, England |
| 6 | 1993 | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 7 | 1996 | Sitges, Spain |
| 8 | 1999 | Tours, France |
| 9 | July 18-22, 2002 [19] | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 10 | September 1-5, 2005 [20] | Frankfurt, Germany |
| 11 | August 22–28, 2009 | Strasbourg, France |
| 12 | August 20–26, 2011 | Oxford, England |
| 13 | August 18–22, 2013 | Munich, Germany |
| 14 | August 2–6, 2015 | Manchester, United Kingdom |
| 15 | July 30 - August 3, 2017 | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 16 | August 25–29, 2019 | Lyon, France |
| 17 | July 24–28, 2022 | Zurich, Switzerland |
The Johannes Ariens Kappers Medal is the highest prize of the ERBS. It is to be awarded to a scientist who has made outstanding scientific achievements and who has been instrumental in the development of chronobiology. The medal shows the profile of Professor Ariens Kapper on one side and his diagram of the sympathetic innervation of the mammalian pineal organ on the other side. [21]
| Recipient | Location | Year |
| Paul Pévet | Strasbourg | 2009 |
| Charlotte Helfrich-Forster | Oxford | 2011 |
| Josephine Arendt | Munich | 2013 |
| Helena Illnerová | Manchester | 2015 |
| Horst-Werner Korf | Amsterdam | 2017 |
| Till Roenneberg | Lyon | 2019 |
| Anna Wirz-Justice | Zurich | 2022 |
In Frankfurt in 2005, the ERBS established "The Julius Axelrod Lecture", which is to be delivered by a distinguished scientist of chronobiology at the EBRS Congress. [21]
| Recipient | Location | Year |
| Tony Ho | Strasbourg | 2009 |
| Marty Zatz | Oxford | 2011 |
| Stafford Lightman | Munich | 2013 |
| Helena Illnerová | Manchester | 2015 |
| David Klein | Amsterdam | 2017 |
| Takashi Yoshimura | Lyon | 2019 |
| Yoshitaka Fukada | Zurich | 2022 |
In Frankfurt in 2005, the ERBS established "The Eberhard Gwinner Lecture", which is to be delivered by a distinguished scientist of chronobiology at the EBRS Congress. [21]
| Recipient | Location | Year |
| Gerald Lincoln | Strasbourg | 2009 |
| Andrew Loudon | Oxford | 2011 |
| Barbara Helm | Munich | 2013 |
| David Hazlerigg | Manchester | 2015 |
| Valerie Simonneaux | Amsterdam | 2017 |
| Noga Kronfeld-Schor | Lyon | 2019 |
| Kristin Tessmar-Raible | Zurich | 2022 |
In Frankfurt in 2005, the ERBS established "The Johannes Ariens Kappers Lecture", which is to be delivered by a distinguished scientist of chronobiology at the EBRS Congress. [21]
| Recipient | Location | Year |
| Ruud Buijs | Strasbourg | 2009 |
| Charlotte Helfrich-Forster | Oxford | 2011 |
| Russell Foster | Munich | 2013 |
| Joke Meijer | Manchester | 2015 |
| Bill Schwartz | Amsterdam | 2017 |
| Robert Lucas | Lyon | 2019 |
| Mick Hastings | Zurich | 2022 |
In 2005, the Board of Directors of Stockgrand Ltd established the "Stockgrand Lecture", in which Stockgrand would propose and sponsor a distinguished scientist of chronobiology to deliver a lecture at each EBRS Congress. [21]
| Recipient | Location | Year |
| Christian Cajochen | Manchester | 2015 |
| Marijke Gordijn | Amsterdam | 2017 |
| Shantha Rajaratham | Lyon | 2019 |
In 1991, Jürgen Aschoff's former mentee, Till Roenneberg, commemorated Aschoff's contributions by initiating the tradition of "Aschoff's Ruler". Roenneberg took an old wooden ruler that Aschoff had used to trace behavioral patterns in data, mounted it on a bronze plaque, and began awarding it to a leading researcher in chronobiology in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the field. The following recipient is then required to bestow the ruler to another outstanding chronobiologist in the field who works in a different country and with a different organism. [22]
| Recipient | Country | Organism | Occasion | Location | Year |
| Maroli K. Chandrashekeran | India | Bats | Gordon Research Conference (GRC) | Irsee, Germany | 1991 |
| Jeffrey C. Hall | USA | Insects | Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR) | Amelia Island, USA | 1992 |
| Johanna H. Meijer | The Netherlands | Rodents | GRC | New London, USA | 1993 |
| Stephan Michel | Germany | Molluscs | SRBR | Amelia Island, USA | 1994 |
| Takao Kondo | Japan | Cyanobacteria | GRC | Barga, Italy | 1995 |
| Jennifer J. Loros | USA | Fungi | SRBR | Amelia Island, USA | 1996 |
| Charalambos P. Kyriacou | United Kingdom | Insects | GRC | New London, USA | 1997 |
| Till Roenneberg | Germany | Algae | SRBR | Amelia Island | 1998 |
| Michael Menaker | USA | Birds | GRC | Barga, Italy | 1999 |
| Sata Honma | Japan | Rodents | SRBR | Amelia Island, USA | 2000 |
| Charles A. Czeisler | USA | Humans | GRC | Newport, USA | 2001 |
| Serge Daan | The Netherlands | Rodents | SRBR | Amelia Island, USA | 2002 |
| Charlotte Helfrich-Förster | Germany | Insects | GRC | Barga, Italy | 2003 |
| Martha Merrow | The Netherlands | Fungi | SRBR | Whistler, Canada | 2004 |
| Martin Zatz | USA | Birds | GRC | Newport, USA | 2005 |
| Anna Wirz-Justice | Switzerland | Humans | SRBR | Sandestin, USA | 2006 |
| Mick Hastings | UK | Rodents | GRC | Aussois, France | 2007 |
| Michael Rosbash | USA | Insects | SRBR | Sandestin, USA | 2008 |
| Hitoshi Okamura | Japan | Rodents | GRC | Newport, USA | 2009 |
| Louis Ptacek | USA | Humans | SRBR | Sandestin, USA | 2010 |
| Elizabeth Maywood | UK | Rodents | GRC | Barga, Italy | 2011 |
| Amita Sehgal | USA | Insects | SRBR | Sandestin, USA | 2012 |
| Ueli Schibler | Switzerland | Rodents | GRC | Newport, USA | 2013 |
| Susan Golden | USA | Cyanobacteria | SRBR | Big Sky, USA | 2014 |
| Andrew Millar | United Kingdom | Plants | GRC | Girona, Spain | 2015 |
| Katia Lamia | USA | Mammals | SRBR | Palm Harbor, USA | 2016 |
| Luis Larrondo | Chile | Fungi | GRC | Stowe, USA | 2017 |
| Carrie Partch | USA | Mammals | SRBR | Amelia Island, USA | 2018 |
| Paloma Mas | Spain | Plants | GRC | Spain | 2019 |
| Satchin Panda | USA | Mammals | SRBR | Virtual | 2020 |
| N/A (due to Covid) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2021 |
| Vinod Kumar | India | Birds | SRBR | Amelia Island | 2022 |
| Joseph Takahashi | USA | Mice | GRC | Maine, USA | 2023 |
| Takashi Yoshimura | Japan | Birds/Fish | SRBR | Puerto Rico, USA | 2024 |
Charalambos Kyriacou earned his degree in Psychology from Birmingham, UK in 1973 and completed a PhD in behavioral genetics at Sheffield in 1978. Early in his career, he taught at Edinburgh University and then joined Jeffrey Hall's lab at Brandeis University, where he began researching biological rhythms. He returned to Edinburgh in 1981 as a research fellow and in 1984 became a lecturer in behavioral genetics at the University of Leicester, where he continues to work. [23]
He was involved in the early molecular identification of the period gene with Hall and Michael Rosbash [24] — which became important in understanding circadian rhythms. He later established his own research group at the University of Leicester, focusing on circadian and tidal rhythms, magnetoreception, and Drosophila models of neurodegenerative disease. [25] Beyond research, he has led EU-funded projects, served in leadership roles at Leicester (including Head of Department and Athena Swan chair), and contributed to several scientific committees and journal editorial boards. [23]
Martha Merrow is an American chronobiologist known for her research on circadian rhythms in humans and model organisms. She earned a biology degree from Middlebury College in 1979 and a Ph.D. in Immunology from Tufts in 1991, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in chronobiology at Dartmouth, which she completed in 1996. [26]
She co-developed the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ) with Till Roenneberg and Anna Wirz-Justice [27] and studied circadian entrainment (the process by which an organism’s internal biological clock synchronizes with external environmental cues) in humans [28] and in the fungus Neurospora crassa. [29] Merrow held professorships at the University of Groningen and Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich, and received the Aschoff's Rule prize from EBRS in 2004. [21]
Debra J. Skene completed her Bachelor of Pharmacy, Master of Science, and Ph.D. at Rhodes University and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in South Africa. She has more than 25 years of experience researching the human circadian timing system and has published over 190 peer-reviewed scientific papers. She is now a Professor of Neuroendocrinology and Section Lead of Chronobiology at the University of Surrey. [30]
Her research focuses on how light and melatonin affect sleep and metabolic health. Notably, she was among the first to demonstrate the importance of short-wavelength blue light in regulating circadian rhythms, influencing lighting design for therapeutic and occupational applications. She received the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award in 2011 for her contributions to chronobiology. [31]
Till Roenneberg is currently Emeritus Professor of Chronobiology and Vice Chair at the Institute of Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. [32] At the age of 17, he began working with Jürgen Aschoff. He studied biology at the University College London and Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich and worked briefly at Harvard University. [33]
Roenneberg's research focuses on circadian rhythms and their interaction with light, sleep, and health, which he studies across a range of organisms, including humans, Dinoflagellates, and fungi. [34] He worked with Martha Merrow and Anna Wirz-Justice to develop and validate the MCTQ, and is also known for creating the concept of social jetlag. [34] In 2012, Roenneberg wrote a book titled Internal Time: Chronotypes, Social Jet Lag, and Why You're So Tired about the mechanisms of circadian and sleep timing. [35]