TEDxPeachtree 2014 is behind us, but that doesn’t mean we’ve stopped noticing how our world is so beautifully illuminated.

Why do so many people equate sun with fun? Is it because they rhyme or is it because that big yellow ball in the sky actually does affect our happiness and wellness? It just may be a little bit of both. Both the process of light therapy and using doses of the sun in varying forms have been used for years to treat such maladies as seasonal affective disorder, eczema, sleep disorders, and neonatal jaundice.

Light therapy, or phototherapy as it is more widely known in the medical community, is administered using lasers, light boxes and direct sunlight and is highly lauded as the remedy for many psychological and skin-related illnesses. Psychological disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression have all been found to benefit greatly with the addition of light therapy to patients’ treatment plans. Jaundice, the yellowing of skin and eyes often found in newborns, is caused by the increased amounts of bilirubin in the blood. Through the use of a blue light (the Bili light), that product is broken down and expelled from the infants, returning their skin to its actual color.

These areas of health where light is used as treatment are well researched and proven; what about breaking new ground? This September, Maria Figueiro took to the stage at TEDMED 2014, a celebration of all things innovative in the field of medicine. The Illumination Researcher is studying the way light plays a factor in our alertness, daily performance abilities, and even how it can be used to improve the posture of the elderly. Her piece Lighting the Way: a Key to Independence, provides guidelines to designers on how to create lighting to meet the needs of older adults.

Learn more about the illuminating role that light plays in our world at Figueiro’s Lighting Research Center website. Or you can follow Maria Figueiro on Twitter. Find out more about other talented speakers from TEDMED here.

Maria Pinkelton is the Communication Specialist for the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University. She lives in Decatur with her husband and son, along with a fine collection of books, craft beers and size 11 shoes.