The Tyumen State Medical University has been inviting people living in Yamal to take part in the Arctic Light research project that includes the installation of human-oriented light fixtures that take into account non-visual biological and emotional effects in homes and workplaces.

The project is designed to improve the health, sleep and working performance of people living and working in Yamal and is being implemented in Russia for the first time. The five-year program will cover Salekhard, Nadym, Aksarka and Yar-Sale. A grant worth 150 million rubles has been allocated to support the research of the West Siberian Research and Educational Center.

Yamal was picked for the reason that all the people there suffer from a lack of sunlight during the winter months and excessive sunlight in the summer. Both factors directly affect the physiology, sleep and working performance of a person.

“The smart lighting technology developed by the Tyumen State Medical University will neutralize the harmful effects of lack of natural light. The preliminary submission campaign has begun. We are inviting Yamal residents aged between  12 and 65, without any serious illnesses and alcoholic or narcotic abuse. They also must be permanent residents of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area without plans to relocate within the next five years,” said Artyom Gaponov, deputy head of the department of innovative development and projects at the department of external relations of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.

Project participants will live in their usual environment and regularly have general and biochemical blood tests. After a year, their homes and workplaces will be equipped with smart lighting lamps that take into account individual parameters of the volunteers. They will also receive smart bands that will monitor sleep phases and the wakefulness-sleep cycle and read light effect indicators. As a result, concrete recommendations will be given to each individual regarding lighting and the introduction of smart lighting to neutralize the lack of natural daylight.   

According to Gaponov, volunteers will also benefit from the monitoring of their health for several years.

Those willing to participate, can address the department of external relations of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. In late March, the Arctic Light website will be launched with detailed information about the project.