About
.
Restoring the biological foundation of human health.
The Circadian Foundation was founded on a simple conviction:
Modern healthcare has achieved extraordinary progress.
Yet one of the most fundamental foundations of human health has gradually faded into the background:
our biological relationship with the natural cycle of light and darkness.
We envision a future where this foundation is once again recognised—not as an alternative to modern medicine or innovation, but as the starting point upon which they can build.
A future where science, healthcare, technology, education and communities work together to restore rhythm as a fundamental pillar of lifelong health.
Because before any intervention, the body needs rhythm.
And rhythm begins with light.
Our Vision
Our Mission
Connecting science, healthcare, communities and organisations around the biological foundations of human health.
The Circadian Foundation brings together people and organisations who share a common belief: that restoring health begins by restoring its biological foundations.
Through education, collaboration and community-based initiatives, we make circadian science accessible in everyday life — helping people better understand their biology, become more aware of the environments in which they live, and make more informed choices about their health.
Our role is not to replace existing health solutions, but to connect and strengthen them through a shared understanding of circadian biology.
But awareness is not only about providing answers. It is also about encouraging curiosity.
We want people to ask better questions about the relationship between biology, timing, light, lifestyle, technology and the environments we create - not by rejecting progress, but by understanding how progress can work more closely with human biology.
Our role is not to replace existing health solutions, nor to promote one solution over another. It is to connect and strengthen them through a shared understanding of the biological foundations upon which they all depend.
Our first public initiative, At First Light, is the first expression of this mission in action: a free and accessible sunrise gathering that reconnects people with one of the most fundamental environmental signals for human biological timing.
But At First Light is also an invitation to something larger.
To become curious about your biology.
To ask better questions.
To learn from science and one another.
And to discover how the choices we make every day can better support the biology we all share.
Our Manifesto
The Circadian Foundation Manifesto describes the vision, philosophy and scientific foundation behind our work.
It explains why circadian health matters, why natural morning light is fundamental to human biology and how At First Light transforms that science into a simple, scalable public initiative.
Whether you are a healthcare professional, researcher, policymaker, organisation or potential partner, the Manifesto provides a comprehensive introduction to our mission and long-term vision.
An Ecosystem Rather Than an Organisation
The Circadian Foundation was never created to become another health organisation.
Nor was it created to compete with the many people, companies and institutions already working to improve human health.
On the contrary.
We believe that the future of health depends on stronger collaboration—not greater fragmentation.
Around the world, remarkable work is being done in nutrition, exercise, sleep medicine, chronobiology, photobiomodulation, digital health, preventive medicine, mental wellbeing and countless other fields.
Each contributes valuable knowledge and meaningful solutions.
Yet they all share a common biological foundation:
the human circadian system.
The Circadian Foundation exists to help restore that foundation.
Not by replacing existing solutions.
But by strengthening the biological layer upon which they can all have their greatest impact.
We see The Circadian Foundation as an independent ecosystem where science, healthcare, technology, education, businesses, governments and communities come together around a shared vision.
A vision where health begins with rhythm.
And rhythm begins with light.
Because no single organisation can restore the biological foundation of human health alone.
But together, we can build a movement that makes it visible again—for everyone.
We envision a future where organisations no longer work alongside one another by coincidence, but together by design.
Where innovation is strengthened by science.
Where technology complements biology.
Where communities reconnect with nature.
And where the simplest foundations of health become visible once again.
That is the role of The Circadian Foundation.
Not to stand at the centre of the conversation.
But to help connect the people, ideas and organisations that are shaping the future of human health.
Independent. Transparent. Purpose-driven.
The Circadian Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors committed to safeguarding the Foundation's mission, scientific integrity and long-term vision.
Our governance is built on three principles:
1 - Scientific Integrity
Our work is guided by evidence and informed by the growing body of research in circadian biology.
2 - Independence
The Foundation operates independently from commercial influence. Partnerships support our mission without determining our scientific or strategic direction.
3 - Long-term Impact
Every decision is made with one goal in mind: creating lasting societal impact by restoring the biological foundation of human health.
Board of Directors
-
Pieter-Jan Beckx - President
-
Iris Decreus - Vice-President
-
Pieter Bourgeois - Treasurer
-
Erika Van den Hauwe - Secretary