CEO Corner: Lumos’ Dr. Biquan Luo Aims To Change Lives With Sleep Tech
LumosTech’s sleep mask combats jetlag and helps professional athletes and everyday consumers alike get better quality shut-eye
Dr. Biquan Luo, PhD, founded LumosTech and created the brand’s flagship Lumos Sleep Mask in 2016 as a way to combat jetlag. As a student, Dr. Luo traveled frequently between her hometown in Asia and the U.S., and wanted a way to improve her sleep while on the move. Eight years later, the Lumos Sleep Mask is now used by the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun and athletes including Josh Kerr, an Olympic Bronze Medalist and 2023 World Champion in the 1500-meter run.
Kerr told Athletech News he’s been using the Lumos Mask to stay fresh and while traveling to and from races overseas, although he also uses the mask during domestic travel.
“I often race overseas, and the mask has become an integral part of my travel process,” Kerr said. “For a trip from the U.S. to Europe, I typically use the jet lag module starting the day prior to travel, and for 1-2 days after I arrive. When I travel back to the States, the mask allows me to resume training at a high level with very little lag.”
Athletech News spoke with Dr. Luo, who serves as CEO of Lumos, about her journey in founding the brand and how Lumos’ sleep technology can be used by professional athletes and everyday health and wellness enthusiasts alike.
The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Athletech News: Can you tell us about your background and what inspired you to create Lumos?
Dr. Biquan Luo: As a bioscientist trained at the University of Southern California and Stanford, I was always passionate about bringing science into everyday life. My journey of founding Lumos began with a personal struggle—jet lag. While at Stanford, I met Dr. Jamie Zeitzer, a renowned scientist known for understanding how the human body’s natural clock affects sleep. I was an international student frequently traveling between the United States and my hometown in Asia. From this research, I immediately saw the potential ending of jet lag. So Lumos was born as a perfect science-based solution to a problem that I personally care greatly about.
ATN: What’s Lumos’ biggest differentiator is in the saturated sleep tech market?
BL: Lumos stands out in the world of sleep tech through three key differentiators: Firstly, we offer active solutions that actively assist users struggling with poor sleep, rather than just monitoring. Secondly, our passive solutions require minimal changes in user behavior, making them easy to adopt seamlessly into daily routines. Most importantly, our entire approach is deeply grounded in scientific research. With positive data from multiple IRB-approved human-subject studies, we’re on a mission to create evidence-based solutions that empower everyone to pursue their dreams and aspirations without compromising their sleep.
ATN: Can Lumos’ sleep tech be extended to everyday people looking to improve their health and wellness?
BL: The technology behind Lumos offers tailored solutions to people who have poor sleep due to the body’s natural circadian clock, the natural rhythm that determines when we sleep and wake up, being out of sync. The number of people being affected is surprisingly high. In fact, one in three people experience poor sleep due to the desynchronization of their body clock, meaning that they are not sleeping at the optimal time when their bodies are naturally most inclined to sleep. The most commonly known examples are jet lag and night shift. More commonplace yet often overlooked are struggles with falling asleep, waking up feeling groggy or enjoying late nights on weekends and facing challenges returning to the 9-5 routine come Monday. Through resynchronizing the body’s circadian clock, improvements can be expected in these sleep-related issues.
ATN: How has the Lumos Mask evolved over the years?
BL: Lumos started as a product for jet lag and later broadened its scope to encompass various sleep challenges, such as night shifts, difficulty waking up, or experiencing grogginess upon awakening. Currently, we offer multiple modules tailored to different sleep schedules, including our latest addition designed to aid the transition between daylight saving time and standard time.
ATN: Could Lumos look to expand beyond sleep?
BL: Circadian rhythm impacts more than just sleep, and we plan to leverage our expertise to impact a variety of processes. The body’s internal circadian clock influences hormone production, metabolism, physical strength, perceived exertion, cognitive acuity and more. Lumos’ goal is to connect tools and programs to positively impact varied processes including sleep, nutrition and training. We can provide the user with a comprehensive toolkit of tailored solutions to optimize their performance and overall well-being.