Hidden Systems of the Brain

What if understanding the mind is less about changing the notes, and more about who’s conducting the orchestra? Think of your DNA as sheet music: the instructions are all written down, but it’s epigenetics, “the conductor”, that decides which parts are played and when. In Alzheimer’s disease, the brain’s music begins to falter; memories fade and cells stop working properly, not necessarily because the notes have changed, but because the conductor may be losing control. This talk explores how these hidden changes could help us better understand Alzheimer’s, and what that might mean for the future.

Did you know your brain has its own nightly cleaning crew? The glymphatic system acts like "brain plumbing," flushing out waste to keep things running smoothly. But what happens when the drains get blocked? Using a cutting-edge MRI technique called DTI-ALPS, we can now peer inside the living brain to see this system in action. Join me to explore how we map these invisible "water pipes" and why understanding this "brain wash" might be the key to unlocking the mysteries of Parkinson’s Disease.

What shapes a person’s likelihood of developing dementia? We know about a few genes that strongly influence dementia risk, but we are discovering that the story is far more complex. Hundreds of other genes each make tiny contributions, quietly shaping our chances over a lifetime. We are still learning how these genes contribute to overall risk, how they interact with one another, and how they are influenced throughout our lives. Improving our understanding of these genes could help us find ways to reduce the likelihood of developing dementia in the future.