Speakers:
Richard Lang, PhD, is a basic discovery biologist currently working at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. He received his BSc and PhD from The University of Melbourne and performed Postdoctoral training with Nobel Laureate Dr. J. Michael Bishop at the University of California San Francisco. After launching his independent career at the Skirball Institute of New York University Medical Center, he was recruited to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. There he holds the Emma & Irving Goldman Scholar Endowed Chair in the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology. He is also Director of the Visual Systems Group and Co-Director of the newly formed Science of Light Center. Research in the Lang lab has recently focused on understanding how mammals respond to light. They work on two new light sensing proteins, Opsin 3 and Opsin 5, has broad implications for human disease and for design of the built space.
Robert Soler is the Founder and Chief Scientist of BIOS Lighting. Prior to BIOS, his most prominent work was at Kennedy Space Center, where he served as Subject Matter Expert for NASA’s circadian lighting system to synchronize astronauts to a 24-hour cycle on board International Space Station. He has served as a jet lag mitigation consultant for professional sports teams, and he currently serves as an advisor to the International WELL Building Institute.
His work bridges the gap between human biology, lighting technology, human behavior, visual perception, energy efficiency and practical application. This innovative approach to lighting has led to him being a named inventor on over 100 issued patents.
He has authored several articles on light and biology in peer-reviewed journal, including Frontiers in Neuroscience, and has been an invited guest on several podcasts, including Sleep is a Skill with Mollie Eastman and The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey.
Duncan Jackson has over 30 years of experience of providing industrial design services for the built environment. The work is predominately focused on B2B product development for the building industry. This includes manufacturers who provide components and systems for integration into the built environment. Much of this work is focused on transportation design and construction experience for various transit authorities, municipalities and airports worldwide. Trained as a civil engineer and furniture designer, he co-founded Billings Jackson in 1992 to bring industrial and product design skills to the construction industry. Under his guidance, the firm has developed a set of strategic and design skills that are unique in infrastructure design, winning over 60 awards for design excellence in urban realm project work and product development for manufacturers.
Duncan has been the industrial design principal for the new New York MTA ONMY ticket vending machine which is due to be deployed in 2024.
The Department of Design has a long history of weaving design research and participatory design in undergraduate and graduate curricula. Research topics range from social innovation to sustainability through design, cultural and brand identity, data visualization all the way to the use and interaction of emerging creative technologies.
