FLOW INFORMATION
FLOW is an immersive artwork projection exploring brain health and the research led by Dr Catherine Hall, of the Brain Energy Lab at the University of Sussex, supported by Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Inspire Fund.
If you have visited Flow we would welcome your feedback on this online form.
Alzheimer's Research UK
Alzheimer's Research UK have a dedicated webpage for their Think Brain Health campaign here:
Think Brain Health Check-in - Think Brain Health
The Brain Energy Lab:
In the Brain Energy Lab we study how the brain gets the energy it needs by regulating the flow of blood through its dense network of blood vessels. This blood supplies it with oxygen and glucose - vital nutrients that brain cells use to generate the signals that constitute our thoughts, memories and feelings.
Disruptions in the brain’s supply of energy increase the risk of developing Allzheimer’s disease. To understand why, we study brain blood vessels and brain cells in mice that have been genetically engineered to simulate some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Our work shows that the main genetic risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease, a gene called APOE4, causes changes in how well brain blood vessels can match blood supply to demand. However, these changes are smaller in mice that are more active.
We know that leading an active life, with regular exercise, reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Our work shows that this is at least in part because healthy blood vessels are better able to provide the brain with the energy it needs.
FLOW is an immersive artwork of William’s art, based on our research images of mouse blood vessels and brain cells. We invite you to explore it and to reflect on how, right now, your brain’s blood vessels are feeding your brain cells, providing them with the energy needed to keep your brain healthy.
We are based at the University of Sussex. You can find out more about our work on our website, or on the profile page of our principal investigator, Dr Catherine Hall.
