Season 4 – Episode 1: Why biological timing matters in medicine

In the first episode of Season 4, we start with the foundations of circadian medicine. Together with our guest Henrik Oster, we take a tour through the circadian system and ask what biological timing has to do with health and disease. We discuss how the body coordinates different physiological and behavioural functions across the 24-hour day, what can happen when internal rhythms become disrupted, and why timing may matter in medicine. We then introduce three key ideas in circadian medicine: exploiting the clock to optimise the timing of treatments, targeting the clock as part of therapy, and detecting the clock to better personalise healthcare. Finally, we examine the current state of the field, the challenges of integrating circadian principles into clinical practice, and the future of circadian medicine. This episode sets the stage for the rest of the season, where we will explore specific areas of circadian medicine in more detail – from vaccines and cancer care to neonatal health, metabolism, exercise, and shift work. Stay tuned!