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What if something as ordinary as light could transform how we sleep, think, and feel?
In this week’s episode of On the Table With Ashley, we welcome Dr. Mariana G. Figueiro—a leading voice in the science of light and health. With over 140 scientific articles and a TEDMED talk that helped bring this topic into the public eye, she’s on a mission to help us see what’s been hiding in plain sight.
One of Dr. Figueiro’s most powerful insights is this: “Research is design.” The principles of healthy lighting are simple—but too often, they’re overlooked in our homes, hospitals, schools, and cities. Light is a tool, a material, and a medicine. And like any good design, it begins with paying attention.
In this conversation, she breaks down how the timing, intensity, and type of light exposure throughout the day influences everything from our mood and cognition to the body’s ability to fight disease. Her work explores how light can improve life for aging adults, shift workers, and even those experiencing cognitive decline or living in prison systems.
Through it all, there’s a deep passion behind her words: light is simple, and yet we take it for granted. But when we begin to notice, even small shifts can have profound effects.
Everything in the body runs on rhythm—including cancer cells. Dr. Figueiro introduces us to the emerging science of chronotherapy, which studies how the time of day we deliver treatment can dramatically affect its impact and side effects. Though still early-stage, this work could change how we approach everything from chemotherapy to mental health.
It’s a reminder that health isn’t just about what we do—it’s about when we do it. Whether it’s taking a morning walk, sitting near a window, or simply opening the blinds, Dr. Figueiro shares accessible, low-cost ways to tune into your own rhythms. As she puts it, “Light is like a cup of coffee—it gives you an instant alerting effect.”
Dr. Figueiro’s work often focuses on those whose needs are too easily ignored: older adults with dementia, incarcerated populations, and night shift workers. In spaces where people have the least control over their environments, the results of good lighting are most striking. A simple red light can help reset alertness on a night shift without disrupting the body’s natural melatonin production. A warm, directional light can help a senior navigate a room at night without reaching for a phone. In prisons, hospitals, and care homes, passive design becomes active healing.
This kind of mindful environmental design resonates deeply with the Âme Atendre ethos: thoughtful choices, rooted in care, with the power to ripple outward.
From practical tips (get outside in the morning, limit screen brightness at night) to inspiring anecdotes (yes, there’s a metro station in Istanbul still using her light design), Dr. Figueiro makes the case for why light matters—whether we notice it or not.
And that’s the heart of this episode. It’s about attention. To the color of your walls. The way sunlight moves through your kitchen. The quiet hum of a circadian rhythm in sync.
