About this episode

This episode features a discussion with Dr. Erik Herzog about circadian rhythms and their impact on health and sleep.

In this episode, Ryan speaks with Dr. Erik Herzog, a leading circadian biologist at Washington University in St. Louis. The conversation explores how the brain keeps time, what circadian rhythms actually are, and why daily timing matters for sleep, learning, and health. Dr. Herzog explains why teenagers naturally want to stay up later, how screens and melatonin affect developing sleep systems, and what research reveals about circadian disruption and diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s. They also discuss cutting-edge work on brain tumors and synthetic gene circuits that align with circadian time, offering a glimpse into the future of sleep-aware medicine. This episode is a deep but accessible look at why when things happen in the body can be just as important as what happens. LINKS: https://biology.wustl.edu/people/erik-herzog Connect with REM Reward: ► Website: remreward.org ► Instagram: @rem_reward Listen to our podcasts on other platforms and make sure to subscribe/follow! • ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ • ⁠ Spotify Podcasts⁠ • ⁠Google Podcasts⁠ • ⁠ YouTube⁠ For more tips, check our website at remreward.org.

People in this episode

Host: Ryan

Guest: Dr. Erik Herzog

Topics covered

• circadian rhythms
• sleep health
• brain biology
• teen sleep patterns
• circadian disruption
• sleep-aware medicine

Keywords

• circadian rhythms
• sleep
• health
• melatonin
• brain tumors
• gene circuits
• Alzheimer's
• cancer

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Washington University in St. Louis, REM Reward, Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts, Google Podcasts, YouTube

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