Centre for Chronobiology

What Centre for Chronobiology does

The Centre for Chronobiology (Zentrum für Chronobiologie) is an academic research centre embedded in the Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences at the University of Basel and physically located at the Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken (UPK) Basel in Basel, Switzerland. Under the direction of Prof. Christian Cajochen, the Centre conducts human sleep and circadian rhythm research with a focus on the non-image-forming effects of light on cognition, neuroendocrine function, mood, and behaviour, including clinical studies on light therapy for major depression. Its core technical infrastructure comprises five fully equipped constant routine suites, one specialized 'chrono' apartment for long-term forced desynchrony studies, and 28-channel EEG polysomnography capability, supported by analytical tools including the freely available SleepCycles R package for sleep cycle detection.

The Centre's "products" are research programs, educational offerings, and a clinical module rather than commercial goods. Active initiatives include the ARISE randomized controlled trial comparing daylight therapy with standard light therapy for inpatients with moderate to severe depression at UPK Basel (funded by Velux Stiftung Schweiz), the integrative Human Circadian Daylight Platform (iHCDP) with its Circadian Health Clinic module, and the recently completed European LIGHTCAP project on non-image-forming light effects. Educational products include the weekly Basel Seminar Series on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep, the new online continuous education course 'Light and Chronobiology' (Nov/Dec 2025), and PhD, master's, and postdoctoral training programs. Science communication is delivered through the 'Über Schlafen' podcast with Deutschlandfunk Nova and media outreach via SRF TV.

The Centre's revenue model is academic rather than commercial. Funding is sourced from research grants—the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), EU research initiatives, and private foundations including Velux Stiftung Schweiz and Thalmann-Fonds der UPK Basel—augmented by institutional support from the University of Basel and UPK Basel. Educational courses are offered free of charge, and there are no disclosed pricing models or commercial revenue streams. The customer base is therefore a mix of study participants (volunteer research subjects), academic collaborators, PhD and postdoctoral trainees, clinical patients enrolled in studies, and the funding bodies that underwrite the research program.

Name

Centre for Chronobiology

Legal name

Centre for Chronobiology (Zentrum für Chronobiologie)

Website

https://chronobiology.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Centre for Chronobiology is a University of Basel research centre in Basel, Switzerland, that studies human sleep and circadian rhythms, including the non-image-forming effects of light and clinical applications such as light therapy for major depression, serving academic collaborators, trainees, and clinical research participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chronobiology Research Services

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Sleep Medicine Clinic (HLAKANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sleep Diagnostics & Monitoring (PSG/Home Sleep Testing, Actigraphy) (HLAHAGAB), Sleep Diagnostic Centers (Polysomnography) (HLAFAKAF), Sleep Neurology (Neurologic Sleep Disorders) (HLAKAIAJ), Sleep Health Coaching (HSADAGAE)

Keywords

• Chronobiology research
• Sleep laboratory services
• Circadian rhythm studies
• Clinical sleep medicine
• Light therapy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Funding: Primary funding from Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), European research initiatives (LIGHTCAP project), and private foundations including Velux Stiftung Schweiz, Thalmann-Fonds.
2. Continuous Education: Online courses in Light and Chronobiology offered for free to participants, organized through iHCDP platform.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Centre for Chronobiology is an academic research institution that conducts fundamental and clinical research on human circadian rhythms, sleep regulation, and the non-image-forming effects of light. It operates a state-of-the-art sleep laboratory with five constant routine suites and a chrono apartment for long-term studies, and delivers clinical research programs (e.g., ARISE light therapy trial for depression), PhD/postdoctoral training, and public-facing educational courses on light and chronobiology.

Product overview

The Centre for Chronobiology is a research institution affiliated with the University of Basel and the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, operating as a unified research organization rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings include state-of-the-art sleep research facilities with five constant routine suites and one chrono apartment for long-term studies; the SleepCycles R package for sleep data analysis; clinical research programs such as the ARISE light therapy study for depression; and educational initiatives including the Basel Seminar Series on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep, continuous education courses on Light and Chronobiology, and training opportunities for doctoral and master's students. The Centre also leads the integrative Human Circadian Daylight Platform (iHCDP), which includes the Circadian Health Clinic module, and conducts the European LIGHTCAP project on non-image-forming light effects. Public engagement encompasses science communication through the 'Über Schlafen' podcast, media appearances, exhibitions, and public lectures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sleep Laboratory (Schlaflabor) State-of-the-art sleep research facility offering constant routine protocols, long-term studies in a chrono apartment, and advanced polysomnography (28-channel EEG) for research collaborators and study participants.
• SleepCycles R Package Free open-source R software package for automated detection of sleep cycles from sleep staging data, available to the research community.
• Basel Seminar Series on Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Weekly seminar series with invited international speakers covering circadian rhythms and sleep research, hosted online via Zoom for the research community.
• Online Continuous Education Course 'Light and Chronobiology' Free online course organized via the iHCDP platform covering daylight's role in behavior, molecular biology, psychophysiology, neuroendocrinology, and clinical applications, open to the public and professionals.
• Continuous Education and Doctoral Training Program Structured training program offering PhD supervision, master's thesis projects, postdoctoral positions, and internship opportunities within ongoing chronobiology research projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple successful PhD defenses completed including Larissa Wuest (2024), Fatemeh Fazlali and Rafael Lazar (2025)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and collaborative.

• LIGHTCAP ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025European research initiative (completed 2025) investigating Non-Image-Forming effects of light on human neuroendocrine and neurobehavioral responses. Contributed to successful PhD defenses of Fazlali and Lazar.
• University of BaselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional affiliation. The Centre is embedded within the University of Basel as part of the Research Platform Molecular and Cognitive Neurosciences (MCN), Division of Chronobiology.
• Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel (UPK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical partnership providing access to patient populations for clinical studies on depression and sleep disorders. Centre is physically located at UPK Basel.
• Integrative Human Circadian Daylight Platform (iHCDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-institutional platform co-leading Circadian Health Clinic module and organizing continuous education courses on light and chronobiology.
• Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, TübingencollaborativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Prof. Manuel Spitschan on light measurement and circadian research within iHCDP platform.
• Technische Universität MünchencollaborativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Prof. Manuel Spitschan on circadian daylight platform research.
• Harvard Medical SchoolcollaborativeStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Corrado Garbazza completed research fellowship at Harvard Medical School; ongoing collaborative relationships in sleep medicine research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Surrey Sleep Research Centre: Academic sleep and circadian research centre at the University of Surrey with controlled laboratory environments for human sleep/circadian studies. Highly comparable as a university-based research group focused on sleep physiology and circadian mechanisms.
• Technische Universität München - Chronobiology Research: Active iHCDP collaboration partner via Prof. Spitschan. Comparable as a university-based research entity working on circadian daylight and human health applications.
• Harvard Medical School - Division of Sleep Medicine: Academic sleep medicine division where both Prof. Cajochen and Dr. Garbazza trained. Comparable in scope and prestige as a university-based sleep and circadian research entity.
• University of Groningen - Sleep Medicine: European academic sleep research group with controlled laboratory protocols. Comparable as a university-based sleep and circadian rhythm research entity.
• Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine: University-based sleep research and clinical centre at Stanford. Comparable as an integrated academic-clinical sleep research institution producing peer-reviewed publications and clinical translations.
• Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics: Active collaboration partner (Prof. Manuel Spitschan) within the iHCDP platform. Comparable as a basic circadian and light research institution operating advanced laboratory methodologies.
• Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Competence Center of Sleep Medicine: Leading European academic sleep medicine centre where Dr. Garbazza obtained his doctorate. Highly comparable as an academic-clinical sleep medicine institution with similar translational research orientation.
• Northwestern University - Center for Circadian and Sleep Medicine: Academic centre combining circadian biology and clinical sleep medicine at Northwestern. Directly comparable in mission (basic chronobiology research linked to clinical applications) and institutional structure.

Regional players

• Woolcock Institute of Medical Research: Australia-based sleep and respiratory research institute with significant clinical sleep research programs. Comparable in academic-clinical sleep research focus, though geographically distant from Basel.
• Monash University - Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health: Academic sleep and mental health research institute in Australia. Comparable in mission (sleep-cognition-affect research and clinical translation) but primarily serving the Asia-Pacific region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psychiatric-hospital-of-the-university-of-basel---centre-for-chronobiology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Chronobiology