Lighting professionals looking to explore the scientific effects of lighting on behavior, aging, and the workplace will want to attend this new, CEU-accredited four-part webinar series.
Building off of the success of last year’s popular educational sessions offered by WAC Group in partnership with the experts at the Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center (LHRC), the lighting manufacturer has announced a new webinar series for 2026.
Lighting professionals will learn the latest research findings on lighting’s impact on health and wellness through four, highly focused webinars that qualify for 2 AIA and IDCEC CEU credits per session. Offering evidence-based insights, the webinar series will explore how lighting influences vision, alertness, sleep, and overall wellness.
The webinar topics and air dates are as follows:
CEU Webinar 1: The Science Behind Lighting’s Impact on Health & Wellness
Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 | 11:00 AM ET
Guest speaker: Mariana Figueiro, professor and director, Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Explore the foundations of human-centric lighting and how light directly affects vision, alertness, sleep, and well-being. Led by LHRC experts, this session introduces the science behind how lighting influences biological responses and how these insights can inform better lighting decisions across residential and professional environments.
Learn:
• How light affects the human visual and circadian systems
• Why lighting quality matters beyond brightness
• How research-backed strategies can improve daily experiences
CEU WEBINAR 2: Lighting for Older Adults
Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 | 11:00 AM ET
Guest speaker: Mariana Figueiro, professor and director, Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Aging affects vision and biological responses to light — however, thoughtful lighting design can improve visual comfort, safety, independence, sleep, and task performance.
Led by experts from the Mount Sinai Light and Health Research Center, this session delves into changes in vision and biological responses to light as we age that can significantly impact comfort, safety, sleep, and independence.
Learn:
• How aging alters visual and biological responses to light
• Key lighting guidelines that support safety and comfort
Attendees will review key guidelines and see practical lighting examples that support healthy aging across residential and controlled environments.
CEU WEBINAR 3: Lighting for the Workplace — The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | 11:00 AM ET
Guest speaker: Mariana Figueiro, professor and director, Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
When designing lighting to support the visual tasks, health, and well-being of workers, it is important to consider lighting for people who work during the day, as well as those who might work at night, or on rotating shifts. This webinar will focus on lighting for dayshift workers and for workers who do not work a typical day shift. Lighting plays a critical role for people working night, evening, and rotating shifts — affecting alertness on the job and sleep quality off the clock.
Learn:
• How light affects alertness and visual performance during shift work
• The risks of poorly designed lighting for nontraditional schedules
• Strategies that balance workplace performance with healthy sleep
CEU WEBINAR 4: Like a Cup of Coffee — The Direct Effects of Light
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026 | 11:00 AM ET
Guest speaker: Mariana Figueiro, professor and director, Light and Health Research Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Light can have immediate effects on alertness, hormones, and sleepiness — beyond circadian rhythms. This session explains how specific lighting characteristics trigger these direct responses and shows how designers can use light to support performance and well-being in real time.
Learn:
•How light directly affects alertness and sleepiness
•The difference between circadian and immediate lighting effects
•Design strategies that support performance when it matters most
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