Division of Sleep Medicine @ Harvard Medical School
Faculty Profile
Frank A.J.L. Scheer, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Associate Neuroscientist, Division of Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Administrative Title(s)
Associate Director, Medical Chronobiology Program, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Address
Medical Chronobiology Program, Division of Sleep Medicine, BWH221 Longwood Avenue (BLI-044)
Boston, MA 02115
USA
Inter-office Mail Address
BLI-044Phone 617-732-7014
Fax 617-733-7337
Email fscheer@rics.bwh.harvard.edu
Society Memberships
Sleep Research SocietySociety for Research on Biological Rhythms
Dutch Neurofederation
Federation of European Neurosciences
European Sleep Research Society
European Biological Rhythms Society
Research Unit(s)
Medical Chronobiology Program, Division of Sleep Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Research Interests
The severity of many diseases varies across the 24-hour period. For example, heart attacks occur most frequently in the morning a few hours after waking up, temporal lobe epileptic seizures of the brain's temporal lobe usually occur in the late afternoon or early evening, and asthma is generally worst at night. The goal of the Medical Chronobiology Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital is to understand the biological basis behind these time-variant changes in disease severity. We aim to determine whether or not these changes are caused by the body clock (the endogenous circadian pacemaker) or attributable to behaviors that occur on a regular daily basis, including the sleep/wake cycle. Understanding the biological basis of these changes across the day and night may provide an insight into the underlying cause of the disease and could lead to better therapy (e.g. appropriately timed medication to target specific phases of the body clock or to coincide with specific behaviors that cause vulnerability, such as exercise).
Trainees
Kun Hu, PhD, post doctoral fellow; 2006-2007
Mikhail Litinski, MD, post doctoral fellow; 2008-2009
Mikhail Litinski, MD, post doctoral fellow; 2008-2009
Mentor(s)
Research Funding
Active
NHLBI P30 HL101299; PI: C.A. Czeisler; New Faculty: F.A.J.L. Scheer
“New Faculty in Sleep Medicine”
NHLBI R01 HL094806, PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
“Mechanisms underlying adverse health consequences of shift work”
NCCAM R21 AT002713;PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Melatonin supplementation in hypertensive patients treated with beta-blockers"
American Sleep Medicine Foundation; PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Restoration of sleep in heart failure patients"
Completed
Brigham and Women's Hospital Biomedical Research Institute; PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
Fund to Sustain Research Excellence
NIH/NHLBI R01; PI: S.A. Shea
"Circadian and behavioral factors of cardiovascular risk"
NIH/NHLBI R01; PI: C.A. Czeisler
"Adaptation of circadian responses to light treatment"
Pickwick Fellowship (National Sleep Foundation); PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Restoration of sleep quality in hypertensive patients"
Cephalon training grant; PI: C.A. Czeisler
Clinical Fellowships in Circadian Medicine
NIH/NINDS R01; PI: C.A. Czeisler
“Circadian Adaptation to Non-24-hour Sleep-Wake Schedules”
NHLBI P30 HL101299; PI: C.A. Czeisler; New Faculty: F.A.J.L. Scheer
“New Faculty in Sleep Medicine”
NHLBI R01 HL094806, PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
“Mechanisms underlying adverse health consequences of shift work”
NCCAM R21 AT002713;PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Melatonin supplementation in hypertensive patients treated with beta-blockers"
American Sleep Medicine Foundation; PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Restoration of sleep in heart failure patients"
Completed
Brigham and Women's Hospital Biomedical Research Institute; PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
Fund to Sustain Research Excellence
NIH/NHLBI R01; PI: S.A. Shea
"Circadian and behavioral factors of cardiovascular risk"
NIH/NHLBI R01; PI: C.A. Czeisler
"Adaptation of circadian responses to light treatment"
Pickwick Fellowship (National Sleep Foundation); PI: F.A.J.L. Scheer
"Restoration of sleep quality in hypertensive patients"
Cephalon training grant; PI: C.A. Czeisler
Clinical Fellowships in Circadian Medicine
NIH/NINDS R01; PI: C.A. Czeisler
“Circadian Adaptation to Non-24-hour Sleep-Wake Schedules”
Teaching
Recent Awards
Awards and Honors:
2009 Neal Miller Award, Keystone, CO, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research
2008 1st Place Clinical Research Young Investigator Award,
National Sleep Foundation/Sleep Research Society
2007 Young Investigator Award, American Academy of Sleep Medicine
2006 Alliance Chronosleep Award, European Sleep Research Society
2006 Finalist Helgi Kristbjarnarson's Award, European Sleep Research Society
2005 Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Sleep Foundation (2005-2007)
Related Websites
Medical Chronobiology Program
Curriculum Vitae
Awards and Honors:
2009 Neal Miller Award, Keystone, CO, Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research
2008 1st Place Clinical Research Young Investigator Award,
National Sleep Foundation/Sleep Research Society
2007 Young Investigator Award, American Academy of Sleep Medicine
2006 Alliance Chronosleep Award, European Sleep Research Society
2006 Finalist Helgi Kristbjarnarson's Award, European Sleep Research Society
2005 Pickwick Postdoctoral Fellowship, National Sleep Foundation (2005-2007)
Related Websites
Medical Chronobiology Program
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Publications
Pavlova MK, Shea SA, Scheer, FA, Bromfield EB. Is there a circadian variation of epileptiform abnormalities in idiopathic generalized epilepsy?
Epilepsy Behav. 2009 Sep 26. [Epub ahead of print] [PMID: 19786369]
Scheer FA, Hilton MF, Mantzoros CS, Shea SA. Adverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of circadian misalignment.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Mar 17;106(11):4453-8. Epub 2009 Mar 2. [PMID: 19255424]
Hu K, van Someren EJ, Shea SA, Scheer, FA. Reduction of scale-invariance of activity fluctuations with aging and Alzheimer's disease: involvement of the circadian pacemaker.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009; 106:2490-4. [PMID: 19202078]
Scheer FA, Shea TJ, Hilton MF, Shea SA. An Endogenous Circadian Rhythm in Sleep Inertia Results in Greatest Cognitive Impairment upon Awakening during the Biological Night.
J Biol Rhythms. 2008 Aug;23(4):353-61. [PMID: 18663242]
Hu K, Scheer FA, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The circadian pacemaker generates similar circadian rhythms in the fractal structure of heart rate in humans and rats.
Cardiovasc Res. 2008 Jun 27. [Epub ahead of print]
Hu K, Scheer FAJL, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The endogenous circadian pacemaker imparts a scale-invariant pattern of heart rate fluctuations across time scales spanning minutes to 24 hours.
J Biol Rhythms. 2008 Jun;23(3):265-73. [PMID: 18487418]
Hu K, Scheer FAJL, Ivanov PCh, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The suprachiasmatic nucleus functions beyond circadian rhythm generation.
Neuroscience. 2007;149(3):508-517 [PMID: 17920204]
Scheer FAJL, Wright Jr. KP, Kronauer RE, Czeisler CA. Plasticity of the Intrinsic Period of the Human Circadian Timing System.
PLoS ONE. 2007;2(1):e721. [PMID: 17684566]
Scheer FA, Stone PH, Shea SA. Decreased sleep in heart failure: are medications to blame?
Arch Intern Med. 2007 May 28;167(10):1098-9; author reply 1099-100. [PMID: 17533214]
Kalsbeek A, Palm IF, La Fleur SE, Scheer FA, Perreau-Lenz S, Ruiter M, Kreier F,
Cailotto C, Buijs RM. SCN outputs and the hypothalamic balance of life.
J Biol Rhythms. 2006 Dec;21(6):458-69. [PMID: 17107936]
Lockley SW, Evans EE, Scheer FA, Brainard GC, Czeisler CA, Aeschbach D. Short-wavelength sensitivity for the direct effects of light on alertness,vigilance, and the waking electroencephalogram in humans.
Sleep. 2006 Feb 1;29(2):161-8. [PMID: 16494083]
Scheer FA. Potential use of melatonin as adjunct antihypertensive therapy.
Am J Hypertens. 2005 Dec;18(12 Pt 1):1619-20. [PMID: 16364835]
Scheer FA, Zeitzer JM, Ayas NT, Brown R, Czeisler CA, Shea SA. Reduced sleep efficiency in cervical spinal cord injury; association with abolished night time melatonin secretion.
Spinal Cord. 2006 Feb;44(2):78-81. [PMID: 16130027]
Scheer FA, Pirovano C, Van Someren EJ, Buijs RM. Environmental light and suprachiasmatic nucleus interact in the regulation of body temperature.
Neuroscience. 2005;132(2):465-77. [PMID: 15802197]
Scheer FA, Van Doornen LJ, Buijs RM. Light and diurnal cycle affect autonomic cardiac balance in human; possible role for the biological clock.
Auton Neurosci. 2004 Jan 30;110(1):44-8. [PMID: 14766324]
Scheer FA, Van Montfrans GA, van Someren EJ, Mairuhu G, Buijs RM. Daily nighttime melatonin reduces blood pressure in male patients with essential hypertension.
Hypertension. 2004 Feb;43(2):192-7. Epub 2004 Jan 19. [PMID: 14732734]
Scheer FA, Van Paassen B, Van Montfrans GA, Fliers E, Van Someren EJ, Van Heerikhuize JJ, Buijs RM. Human basal cortisol levels are increased in hospital compared to home setting.
Neurosci Lett. 2002 Nov 22;333(2):79-82. [PMID: 12419485]
Scheer FA, Ter Horst GJ, van Der Vliet J, Buijs RM. Physiological and anatomic evidence for regulation of the heart by suprachiasmatic nucleus in rats.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2001 Mar;280(3):H1391-9. [PMID: 11179089]
Scheer FA, Buijs RM. Light affects morning salivary cortisol in humans.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Sep;84(9):3395-8. [PMID: 10487717]
Scheer FA, van Doornen LJ, Buijs RM. Light and diurnal cycle affect human heart rate: possible role for the circadian pacemaker.
J Biol Rhythms. 1999 Jun;14(3):202-12. [PMID: 10452332]
Reviews
Rüger M, Scheer FA. Effects of circadian disruption on the cardiometabolic system.
Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2009 Sep 26. Epub ahead of print. [Invited Review] [PMID: 19784781]
Litinski M, Scheer FA, Shea SA. Influence of the Circadian System on Disease Severity.
Sleep Med Clinics. 2009;4:143–163.
Scheer FA, Shea SA. Fundamentals of the Circadian System. In: Amlaner C, Fuller P (ed).
SRS Basics of Sleep Guide. 2nd edition. Sleep Research Society. 2009:199-210.
Kalsbeek A, Palm IF, La Fleur SE, Scheer FA, Perreau-Lenz S, Ruiter M, Kreier
F, Cailotto C, Buijs RM. SCN outputs and the hypothalamic balance of life.
J Biol Rhythms. 2006 Dec;21(6):458-69. Review. [PMID: 17107936]
Scheer FA, Czeisler CA. Melatonin, sleep, and circadian rhythms.
Sleep Med Rev. 2005 Feb;9(1):5-9. Review. [PMID: 15649734]
Scheer FA, Kalsbeek A, Buijs RM. Cardiovascular control by the suprachiasmatic nucleus: neural and neuroendocrine mechanisms in human and rat.
Biol Chem. 2003 May;384(5):697-709. Review. [PMID: 12817466]
Book Chapters
Buijs RM, Scheer FA, Kreier F, Yi C, Bos N, Goncharuk VD, Kalsbeek A. Chapter 20: Organization of circadian functions: interaction with the body.
Prog Brain Res. 2006;153:341-60.
Epilepsy Behav. 2009 Sep 26. [Epub ahead of print] [PMID: 19786369]
Scheer FA, Hilton MF, Mantzoros CS, Shea SA. Adverse metabolic and cardiovascular consequences of circadian misalignment.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Mar 17;106(11):4453-8. Epub 2009 Mar 2. [PMID: 19255424]
Hu K, van Someren EJ, Shea SA, Scheer, FA. Reduction of scale-invariance of activity fluctuations with aging and Alzheimer's disease: involvement of the circadian pacemaker.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2009; 106:2490-4. [PMID: 19202078]
Scheer FA, Shea TJ, Hilton MF, Shea SA. An Endogenous Circadian Rhythm in Sleep Inertia Results in Greatest Cognitive Impairment upon Awakening during the Biological Night.
J Biol Rhythms. 2008 Aug;23(4):353-61. [PMID: 18663242]
Hu K, Scheer FA, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The circadian pacemaker generates similar circadian rhythms in the fractal structure of heart rate in humans and rats.
Cardiovasc Res. 2008 Jun 27. [Epub ahead of print]
Hu K, Scheer FAJL, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The endogenous circadian pacemaker imparts a scale-invariant pattern of heart rate fluctuations across time scales spanning minutes to 24 hours.
J Biol Rhythms. 2008 Jun;23(3):265-73. [PMID: 18487418]
Hu K, Scheer FAJL, Ivanov PCh, Buijs RM, Shea SA. The suprachiasmatic nucleus functions beyond circadian rhythm generation.
Neuroscience. 2007;149(3):508-517 [PMID: 17920204]
Scheer FAJL, Wright Jr. KP, Kronauer RE, Czeisler CA. Plasticity of the Intrinsic Period of the Human Circadian Timing System.
PLoS ONE. 2007;2(1):e721. [PMID: 17684566]
Scheer FA, Stone PH, Shea SA. Decreased sleep in heart failure: are medications to blame?
Arch Intern Med. 2007 May 28;167(10):1098-9; author reply 1099-100. [PMID: 17533214]
Kalsbeek A, Palm IF, La Fleur SE, Scheer FA, Perreau-Lenz S, Ruiter M, Kreier F,
Cailotto C, Buijs RM. SCN outputs and the hypothalamic balance of life.
J Biol Rhythms. 2006 Dec;21(6):458-69. [PMID: 17107936]
Lockley SW, Evans EE, Scheer FA, Brainard GC, Czeisler CA, Aeschbach D. Short-wavelength sensitivity for the direct effects of light on alertness,vigilance, and the waking electroencephalogram in humans.
Sleep. 2006 Feb 1;29(2):161-8. [PMID: 16494083]
Scheer FA. Potential use of melatonin as adjunct antihypertensive therapy.
Am J Hypertens. 2005 Dec;18(12 Pt 1):1619-20. [PMID: 16364835]
Scheer FA, Zeitzer JM, Ayas NT, Brown R, Czeisler CA, Shea SA. Reduced sleep efficiency in cervical spinal cord injury; association with abolished night time melatonin secretion.
Spinal Cord. 2006 Feb;44(2):78-81. [PMID: 16130027]
Scheer FA, Pirovano C, Van Someren EJ, Buijs RM. Environmental light and suprachiasmatic nucleus interact in the regulation of body temperature.
Neuroscience. 2005;132(2):465-77. [PMID: 15802197]
Scheer FA, Van Doornen LJ, Buijs RM. Light and diurnal cycle affect autonomic cardiac balance in human; possible role for the biological clock.
Auton Neurosci. 2004 Jan 30;110(1):44-8. [PMID: 14766324]
Scheer FA, Van Montfrans GA, van Someren EJ, Mairuhu G, Buijs RM. Daily nighttime melatonin reduces blood pressure in male patients with essential hypertension.
Hypertension. 2004 Feb;43(2):192-7. Epub 2004 Jan 19. [PMID: 14732734]
Scheer FA, Van Paassen B, Van Montfrans GA, Fliers E, Van Someren EJ, Van Heerikhuize JJ, Buijs RM. Human basal cortisol levels are increased in hospital compared to home setting.
Neurosci Lett. 2002 Nov 22;333(2):79-82. [PMID: 12419485]
Scheer FA, Ter Horst GJ, van Der Vliet J, Buijs RM. Physiological and anatomic evidence for regulation of the heart by suprachiasmatic nucleus in rats.
Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2001 Mar;280(3):H1391-9. [PMID: 11179089]
Scheer FA, Buijs RM. Light affects morning salivary cortisol in humans.
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1999 Sep;84(9):3395-8. [PMID: 10487717]
Scheer FA, van Doornen LJ, Buijs RM. Light and diurnal cycle affect human heart rate: possible role for the circadian pacemaker.
J Biol Rhythms. 1999 Jun;14(3):202-12. [PMID: 10452332]
Reviews
Rüger M, Scheer FA. Effects of circadian disruption on the cardiometabolic system.
Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2009 Sep 26. Epub ahead of print. [Invited Review] [PMID: 19784781]
Litinski M, Scheer FA, Shea SA. Influence of the Circadian System on Disease Severity.
Sleep Med Clinics. 2009;4:143–163.
Scheer FA, Shea SA. Fundamentals of the Circadian System. In: Amlaner C, Fuller P (ed).
SRS Basics of Sleep Guide. 2nd edition. Sleep Research Society. 2009:199-210.
Kalsbeek A, Palm IF, La Fleur SE, Scheer FA, Perreau-Lenz S, Ruiter M, Kreier
F, Cailotto C, Buijs RM. SCN outputs and the hypothalamic balance of life.
J Biol Rhythms. 2006 Dec;21(6):458-69. Review. [PMID: 17107936]
Scheer FA, Czeisler CA. Melatonin, sleep, and circadian rhythms.
Sleep Med Rev. 2005 Feb;9(1):5-9. Review. [PMID: 15649734]
Scheer FA, Kalsbeek A, Buijs RM. Cardiovascular control by the suprachiasmatic nucleus: neural and neuroendocrine mechanisms in human and rat.
Biol Chem. 2003 May;384(5):697-709. Review. [PMID: 12817466]
Book Chapters
Buijs RM, Scheer FA, Kreier F, Yi C, Bos N, Goncharuk VD, Kalsbeek A. Chapter 20: Organization of circadian functions: interaction with the body.
Prog Brain Res. 2006;153:341-60.
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